LOT Heritage Rare Coin Galleries  /  2007 Jan (FUN) Heritage Signature Coin #422  / 

3707

1857-S $20 MS65 NGC. Ex: Central America. Few realize

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:8,500.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 2.00 USD
1857-S $20 MS65 NGC. Ex: Central America. Few realize
<B>1857-S $20 MS65 NGC.</B></I> Ex: <I>Central America.</B></I> Few realize the horrors involved of a ship sinking at sea, but we have the written memories of some of the survivors. On the night of September 12, 1857, the <I>S.S. Central America</B></I> plunged at a 45-degree angle, disappearing beneath the waves of the North Atlantic, and the suction of the sudden sinking of the ship pulled many passengers far below the surface. Some managed to swim back to the surface. One survivor, John C. Taylor, described the scene that night: "Men, some holding planks, and others without anything, were tossed about through the sea for a great space, and appeared to me like so many corks. The cries of despair which were uttered by all faintly reached me. I could not describe my feelings at this awful moment."<BR> Along with the hundreds of men, women, and children who lost their lives that night, a fabulous treasure in California gold also slipped beneath the waves. The gold coins and bars sank to such a depth that the mint luster remained undisturbed on the coins. Since they were salvaged in 1988 and sold into the market several years later, these pieces have provided collectors with numerous high quality examples of Type One double eagles--coins that were generally unavailable in mint condition. This piece shows bright, swirling mint frost and full definition on all the devices. An exceptional Gem 1857-S and rarely seen any finer.<BR><I>From The Freedom Collection.</B></I><BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coin/Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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