Panama SoCalled Dollar


	Mutt and His Panama So-Called Dollar

	Many many years ago, while strolling through the flea market, at the time known as TROPICAL, Mutt saw an interesting medal. He had only recently started upon his numismatic avocation. But for a dollar, he could not pass up this item. It went into his miscellaneous collection for a number of years. Then he purchased a book on Panama coinage with the story of the medal and a picture of No.770 on page 167. In 1980 Coin World had another article on the subject with medal No. 20536 pictured. His medal, bearing the serial number 20528 was one of the 50,000 pieces aboard the first vessel to complete an ocean transit of the newly completed Panama Canal on August 3, 1914. This day also went down in history, as the opening day of World War I. The first cargo steamer, The Panama Railroad Steamship, S.S.Cristobal became the first vessel to complete an ocean-to-ocean transit of the newest technological achievement of mankind, the Panama Canal. Aboard the vessel, were the serial numbered medals, today referred as So-Called Dollars. The bronze 24 millimeter medal commemorating the completion of Teddy Roosevelt's Big Ditch were ear marked for presentation to officials worldwide, covering the official opening day, scheduled to take place 12 days later. Unfortunately, the momentous events that occurred that day in another part of the world, would reshape the world forever, dampened plans for the immense August 15th celebration in the Canal Zone, and created a numismatic mystery. The medals were struck by the John F. Newman Company, New York jewelers. And are listed in two references: So-Called Dollars, 1963, Hibler and Kappan, and Coins and Currency of Panama, Julius Grigore, Jr. 1970. Few of the medals are known and the disposition of the vast majority is unknown. There is another copy of the medal displayed on the internet with serial number 10076.
	Obverse: Ship passing through the Panama Canel, Figure of Colombia standing at the bow, holding a ribbon linking the two globes of the earth flanking the figure. The ribbon representing the canal has Latin inscription – Ocanni Inter Se Columbis Coniunguntur "Columbia Unites The Oceans". Above divided by Columbia, PROSPERITY TO ALL NATIONS / J.F.N. at rim below.. Reverse: The seal of the Canal Zone with the inscription COMMEMORATING THE OPENING OF THE PANAMA CANAL TO THE COMMERCE OF THE WORLD, THIS MEDAL COPYRIGHTED AND BEARING A SERIAL NUMBER IS ONE OF 50,000 CARRIED ON THE VESSEL MAKING THE FIRST PASSAGE THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL AS AUTHORIZED IN CERTIFICATE SIGNED BY Geoorge W.Goethals, CHIEF ENGINEER AND CHAIRMAN ISTHMIAN CANAL COMMISSION / a panel displaying the serial number.
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