Republic gold "S.S. Central America" 20 Dollars 1851 MS60 PCGS, Philadelphia mint, KM74.1. Salvaged from the "S. S. Central America" (sunk in 1857 off North Carolina). A solid representative yielding free of wear surfaces. Accompanied by a pinch of California gold dust, COA, and original presentation box. "The Ship of Gold", the S. S. Central America sailed on September 3rd, 1857 bound to New York City carrying over 9 tons of gold from the California Gold Rush. On the coast of the Carolinas, it was hit by a grade 2 hurricane which took it to the bottom of the seas with most of it's passengers and crew, described in the period as having "no parallel" among American navigation disasters. At the time of the sinking, it carried approximately $8 million in gold ($765 million Dollars in 2021). The ship's salvaging began in the 1980's with several coins and hefty gold bars coming to market. Though many insurance companies have claimed the treasure stating they have paid for the loss in the 19th century, most of the cargo was settled in court to the finders. Due to legal issues between the discovery team's leader and investors/crew, many legal battles are ongoing since, with some saying that only 5% of the ship has been salvaged and much more treasure is yet to be discovered. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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