Editing Sesquicentennial Exposition (section)

==Reception and legacy==
From its opening day on May 31, the exposition already faced challenges to its success.  The fair opened with a heavy downpour of rain, causing many fair goers to leave.  However, one man, Jacob J. Henderson had been proud to be the first person to enter the fairgrounds at the 9:00 A.M. opening.  He stated that he had been to the Centennial with his parents, and did not want to miss opening day of the Sesqui.  Within the first hour, it is believed that less than 250 entered the gates of the fairgrounds.<ref name=":1" />  The fair drew a much smaller crowd than anticipated (about 10 million people).  ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' dubbed it "America's Greatest Flop" with a loss of $20 million by August 1926.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety84-1926-08#page/n207/mode/1up|title=America's Greatest Flop|date=August 25, 1926|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=May 28, 2017|page=1}}</ref>  The exposition ended up unable to cover its debts and was placed into receivership in 1927, at which point its assets were sold at auction.<ref>[http://www.phila.gov/PHILS/Docs/Inventor/graphics/agencies/A232-5.htm City of Philadelphia Information Locator Service entry]</ref>

[[Benito Mussolini]] commemorated the Sesquicentennial by giving a $800,000 replica of Bernini's ''Fountain of Sea Horses'' to the city, which arrived after the fair closed.<ref name=":1" />  Installed in [[Fairmount Park]], it was neglected for many years before being restored in 2013.<ref>[http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/05/31/italian-fountain-restored-getting-ready-to-splash-again-this-summer Italian Fountain restored, getting ready to splash again this summer]</ref>  A [[commemorative stamp]], showing the Liberty Bell ([[Scott catalogue]] number 627) was printed, and two [[early United States commemorative coins]] were minted.  Known as the [[United States Sesquicentennial coinage]], they included a silver half dollar and a gold [[Quarter eagle]].  The fifty cent coin shows the heads of [[George Washington]] and [[Calvin Coolidge]] on the obverse, and the Liberty Bell on the reverse. The $2 1/2 coin has on the obverse Liberty holding a torch and the Declaration of Independence while standing on a globe; the reverse depicts [[Independence Hall]].  The stamp was issued in large numbers and is very inexpensive. The coins sold only moderately well, although both remain more common than many commemorative issues of this period.[[Image:Sesquicentenial map.jpg|thumb|Diagram of the grounds of the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition]]