Pan-Pac Commemorative Half-Dollar Tribute – 2 oz Silver

Columbia scatters flowers before the Golden Gate, while an eagle stands above the national shield. These images from the 1915 Panama-Pacific commemorative half dollar return in a substantial Intaglio Mint tribute containing two troy ounces of .999 fine silver. The 39mm round celebrates the art of the original coin and the ambitious exposition it commemorated.

San Francisco Welcomes the World

The Panama-Pacific International Exposition opened in San Francisco in 1915 to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. For the host city, it also offered an opportunity to demonstrate its recovery from the devastating earthquake and fires of 1906. Elaborate exhibition buildings and displays welcomed visitors to a city determined to look forward.

A commemorative coin program helped support the exposition. The silver half dollar was part of that program, alongside gold issues in several denominations. Proceeds from coin sales contributed toward the fair’s costs, giving the pieces a practical fundraising purpose as well as a commemorative role.

The Original Coin’s Artistic Legacy

The United States Mint credits Charles E. Barber with the half dollar’s obverse and George T. Morgan with its reverse. The original also marked a numismatic first: it was the first U.S. commemorative coin to carry “IN GOD WE TRUST.” This modern tribute retains the principal imagery while replacing the half-dollar denomination with its own silver weight.

Obverse Design

Columbia stands in flowing robes, scattering flowers beside a child and cornucopia. Rays spread across the background above the waters of the Golden Gate, the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Here “Golden Gate” refers to the geographic strait, not the later suspension bridge. “PANAMA-PACIFIC EXPOSITION” surrounds the scene, with 1915 and an “S” tribute mark below.

Reverse Design

An eagle with raised wings stands above a shield, flanked by oak and olive branches. “IN GOD WE TRUST” appears above, while “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “2 TROY OUNCES” frame the design. The weight inscription identifies the piece as a modern silver round rather than an original 1915 half dollar.

Specifications

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

Explore more designs in our silver round collection.