1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition
In 1915, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition was held in San Francisco to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal along with San Francisco's emergence from the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906. Zerbe oversaw the Exposition's official Coin and Medal department.
The United States Congress authorized the San Francisco Mint (also known as "The Granite Lady") to issue a series of five commemorative coins. Said coins were the 1915S silver Panama-Pacific half dollar and four gold coins. The denominations of the gold coins were 1 dollar, 2½ dollars (quarter eagle), a 50 dollar round coin, and an unusual 50 dollar octagonal coin. Zerbe also supervised the creation of a series of commemorative medals, an award medal, a souvenir medal, and diplomas. The Pan-Pac coins have the distinction of being the first commemorative coins to bear the motto "In God We Trust", and were also the first commemoratives to be struck at a branch mint.
In the same year, Zerbe founded the Pacific Coast Numismatic Society in San Francisco in 1915. It is the oldest numismatic organization in the Western United States, and fosters a strong tradition of research and literary publication.
Read more about this topic: Farran Zerbe
Famous quotes containing the word exposition:
“Hard times accounted in large part for the fact that the exposition was a financial disappointment in its first year, but Sally Rand and her fan dancers accomplished what applied science had failed to do, and the exposition closed in 1934 with a net profit, which was donated to participating cultural institutions, excluding Sally Rand.”
—For the State of Illinois, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)