Congress authorized the first commemorative coin for the World’s Columbian Exposition, a.k.a Chicago World’s Fair, honoring the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage. The half dollar features his profile and flagship, the Santa Maria, above two hemispheres. Originally dated 1892, the coin was also minted in 1893 due to a delayed opening. Additionally, the Board of Lady Managers petitioned Congress to sell the Isabella Quarter at the Expo. Supporting women’s industry, it featured Spain’s powerful queen and Columbus’s sponsor juxtaposed with a kneeling woman spinning flax.

In 1915, San Francisco hosted the Panama Pacific International Exposition, highlighting the successful opening of the Panama Canal. The San Francisco Mint struck the fair’s four commemorative coins. The silver half dollar features Liberty in front of the Golden Gate, representing luck, trade, and the “boundless resources of the West.” The gold dollar’s stark design depicts a canal construction worker, while the quarter eagle glorifies Columbia, riding a hippocampus through the canal. Her caduceus is emblematic of trade and alludes to medical breakthroughs that controlled malaria and yellow fever during the canal’s build. The largest gold coins issued by the U.S. Mint, the $50 was struck in a round and unique octagonal format. Minerva and her owl represent ancient wisdom and the growing naval power of America.