NGC
Releases SS New York Population Report Posted on 6/16/2008
A
comprehensive population report of all the NGC-graded gold
coins from the SS New York is now available. The SS New York
operated a light cargo and passenger service between New Orleans
and Galveston until it sank during a storm on September 7,
1846. Coins recovered were conserved by Numismatic Conservation
Services (NCS) and then certified by NGC. The newly released
population report includes 297 gold coins representing a broad
cross-section of coins used in commerce along Gulf of Mexico
trade routes during the early nineteenth century.
Coins recovered from the SS New York are from
Western Europe, South and Central America, and the United
States. The US coins include several exemplary condition coins
from southern mints. For example, an 1845-D $2.50 graded NGC
MS 64 is the highest graded example of this Dahlonega issue.
Other notable examples include an 1844-D $5 NGC MS 63 PL,
the only prooflike example of the date to be certified, and
two 1844-O $10 NGC MS 63 pieces, tied as the two finest examples
of the issue certified.
Among the notable foreign coins are a Colombia
1816PN FR 8 escudos and a Denmark 1844 FF 2 Christians D’Or
graded NGC MS 62. Both are scarce issues. The earliest gold
coin recovered from the ship was a Prussia 1776A 2 Friedrich
D'Or grading NGC F 15, which was 70 years old when the ship
sank.
The SS New York population report can be downloaded
from NGC’s Web site as a PDF file. Additionally, these coins
will be incorporated into the only NGC Census as of June 16,
2008.
The majority of gold coins recovered from the SS New York
showed no evidence of salt water exposure following conservation
and were eligible for grading on the 70-point grading scale.
Gold coins receiving Shipwreck Effect designations will be
itemized in a second report, yet to be released, which will
also include silver coinage.