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*Highlight OF Entire Auction* 1855-s 14-A Broken A Full E SS Central America Gold Liberty $20 By USC

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:10,625.00 - 21,250.00 USD
*Highlight OF Entire Auction* 1855-s 14-A Broken A Full E SS Central America Gold Liberty $20 By USC
***Auction Highlight*** 1855-s 14-A Broken A Full E S.S. Central America Gold Liberty $20 Graded Select Unc By USCG. Highlight of the Entire Auction. I piece of Maritime History, a Salvaged coin from the SS Central America. An 1855-s 14-A Variety $20 Liberty Double Eagle. The crossbar of the A in STATES is broken, but the E is complete. A splendid Select Mint State 1855-S double eagle that was carefully preserved in 8,000 feet of ocean water for nearly a century and a half before the treasure was discovered. Scattered, grade-consistent marks appear on each side of this lovely example that features brilliant yellow luster and frosty surfaces. Much scarcer in Mint State than the 1857-S. As backstory, The SS Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, operated between Central America and the eastern coast of the United States during the 1850s. On 3 September 1857, 477 passengers and 101 crew left the Panamanian port of Colón, sailing for New York City. The ship was laden with 10 tons of gold. On 9 September 1857, the ship was caught up in a Category 2 hurricane while off the coast of the Carolinas. By 11 September, the 105 mph winds and heavy seas had shredded her sails, she was taking on water, and her boiler was threatening to fail. A leak in one of the seals between the paddle wheel shafts and the ship's sides sealed its fate. At noon that day, her boiler could no longer maintain fire. Steam pressure dropped, shutting down both the bilge pumps. Also, the paddle wheels that kept her pointed into the wind failed as the ship settled by the stern. The passengers and crew flew the ship's flag inverted to signal a passing ship. No one came. A bucket brigade was formed, and her passengers and crew spent the night fighting a losing battle against the rising water. During the calm of the hurricane, attempts were made to get the boiler running again, but these failed. The second half of the storm then struck. The ship was now on the verge of foundering. Without power, the ship was carried along with the storm and the strong winds would not abate. The next morning, September 12, two ships were spotted, including the brig Marine. Only 153 passengers, primarily women and children, made their way over in lifeboats. The ship remained in an area of intense winds and heavy seas that pulled the ship and most of her company away from rescue. Central America sank at 8:00 that evening. As a consequence of the sinking, 425 people were killed. A Norwegian bark, Ellen, rescued an additional 50 from the waters.[1] Another three were picked up over a week later in a lifeboat. In the immediate aftermath of the sinking, greatest attention was paid to the loss of life, which was described as "appalling" and as having "no parallel" among American navigation disasters. At the time of her sinking, Central America carried gold then valued at approximately US $8,000,000 (modern monetarily 2019 dollar equivalent to $750 million). The loss shook public confidence in the economy, and contributed to the Panic of 1857. In 1988, the ship was located and significant amounts of the Gold Recovered. Today we are Proud to offer you the first SS Central America coin we have ever offered. A Corey's Pick, Bid to Win, Don't let it get Away, you might not find its equal Coin. I give this coin my highest recommendation