1915 Pan-Pac $2.5 Gold Tribute – 2 oz Silver Round

A mythical sea horse carries Columbia across the waves in one of American commemorative coinage’s most imaginative designs. This Intaglio Mint tribute brings the imagery of the 1915 Panama-Pacific gold quarter eagle to a 2 troy ounce .999 fine silver round. The name recalls the historic $2.50 gold coin; this modern 39 mm tribute is silver.

A New Route Between Oceans

San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition celebrated completion of the Panama Canal. The quarter eagle issued for the occasion was the first U.S. commemorative coin of that denomination, and proceeds from its sale helped offset the exposition’s costs. The U.S. Mint credits Charles E. Barber with its obverse and George T. Morgan with its reverse.

Rather than showing machinery or locks, the design expressed the canal’s promise through allegory. The Mint describes Columbia’s caduceus as an emblem of trade and commerce: an invitation for the world to use the new ocean-to-ocean passage. Mythological imagery transformed a modern engineering achievement into a scene with the character of an ancient story.

Obverse Design

Columbia rides a hippocampus, a creature combining a horse’s forequarters with a curling aquatic tail. Her flowing drapery contrasts with the creature’s textured body and the waves below. She holds the caduceus outward, while “PANAMA-PACIFIC EXPOSITION” follows the upper rim and the commemorative date 1915 appears beneath the scene.

Reverse Design

A left-facing eagle perches above a tablet bearing “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” around the upper border. On this tribute, “2 OZT” identifies the silver weight in place of the historical coin’s denomination, and the hallmark appears along the lower circumference. The broad 39 mm canvas gives the feathers, lettering, and sculptural forms room to stand out.

Specifications

• Weight: 2.00 troy ounces
• Metal: .999 fine silver
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Thickness: approximately 6 mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated

Explore more designs in our silver round collection.