Depicts a portrait of Christopher Columbus in profile, surrounded by the country name above and denomination below divided by stars. The initial of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber (B) below the neck.

Christopher Columbus (c. 1451–1506), an Italian explorer under the Spanish Crown, completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, initiating European colonization of the New World. Seeking new trade routes and colonies, Columbus proposed sailing westward to reach the East Indies, leading to his first voyage in 1492. Instead of Japan, he landed in the Bahamas, later exploring the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, and Central America, claiming these territories for the Crown of Castile.

While not the first European to reach the Americas (preceded by Leif Erikson), Columbus's expeditions established lasting European contact with the New World, ushering in a period of exploration, conquest, and colonization that spanned centuries.

Depicts Christopher Columbus's flagship Santa María with two globes below, surrounded by the inscription above and the date of the issue below. The date of Columbus’s discovery of the new world “1492” appears split by the two globes.

La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción, also known simply as La Santa María, originally named La Gallega, was the largest of Christopher Columbus's three ships during his inaugural voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. Juan de la Cosa served as her master and owner.

The World's Columbian Exposition, or Chicago World's Fair, held from May 5 to October 31, 1893, commemorated Christopher Columbus's 1492 arrival in the New World. Located in Jackson Park, Chicago, it featured a large water pool symbolizing Columbus's voyage. Designed by John Wellborn Root, Daniel Burnham, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Charles B. Atwood, it showcased neoclassical architecture, earning the nickname the White City. With 690 acres of exhibits from 46 countries, it attracted over 27 million visitors, symbolizing American exceptionalism. Dedicated on October 21, 1892, it marked Chicago's recovery from the 1871 Great Fire. Chicago Day on October 9, 1893, set a world record for outdoor event attendance, and the fair's debt was promptly paid off with a $1.5 million check.