1841-D Half Eagle - 1841-D $5 SS New York, NGC MS61. This Mint State, Southern branch mint 1841-D Half Eagle comes with the provenance of the ill-fated S.S. New York. The coin shows an above average strike with full details on the centers of the stars, Libertys hair, and the eagles neck. Mint luster remains within the devices of this eye-appealing piece. The surfaces are original and clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions.

The S.S. New York was a luxurious 160 foot side-wheel steamship with a wooden hull that was built in New York City in 1837. During most of its career it traveled between New Orleans and Galveston, Texas. It transported merchandise, provisions, and passengers. Now and then it carried troops to south Texas in support of the war against Mexico.

On September 5, 1846, while on route from Galveston, the ship found itself in the middle of a huge hurricane. After battling the high winds and giant waves, the ship sank. Of the 53 passengers, only 36 survived. In addition to the 17 people lost at sea were thirty to forty thousand dollars in United States gold and silver coins.

In 1990 a Louisiana oil field worker and an amateur diver found the wreckage. They used the oil workers electronic fish finder and information from shrimpers in the area. There was a snag at the bottom of the ocean that was dangerous to dragging nets. It was the remains of the S.S. New York. At first few coins were found near the wreck. The site was again searched in 1997 and 1998 but to no avail. It was in the summer of 2005 the group knew it was close to finally finding all that was left in the wreckage. However, salvage plans were on hold for a year when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana's coast in August and September 2005. Later, in 2006, the sight was explored again and the coins were found.

When Mint Engraver William Kneass was unable to resume his duties after a debilitating stroke, Christian Gobrecht was asked to do his work, which included making a new half eagle that would be uniform with the eagle. The Liberty Head half eagle with no motto was minted from 1839 to 1866.

Gobrechts design shows a left facing profile of Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed coronet. Her hair is tied in the back and there are two loose curls that hang down her neck. Around the head are thirteen six-pointed stars, and the date is below the truncation. At the periphery of the coin are dentils. The coin also has a reeded edge. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle similar to the one on the Classic Head half eagle except that the eagle is smaller and its neck is not bent so aggressively. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, except for its wing tips, in an arc. The denomination is below, separated with dots, and written as FIVE D. The mintmark is under the eagle above the denomination.

The discovery of gold in the early 1800s led to the establishment of two of the Southern branch mints, Charlotte North Carolina and Dahlonega Georgia. In 1835 an act of Congress mandated that these two branch mints would coin only gold. The New Orleans Mint also opened to handle gold from Mexico. In 1838 the first Dahlonega gold coins were made, and they were the Classic Head half eagle type. Because of the local alloys high silver content, Dahlonega gold coins often have a green-gold cast. They are also often weakly struck on irregular planchets. Dahlonega gold coins are eagerly sought by collectors and investors because of their low mintages and rarity. Modern D mint coins should not be confused with Dahlonega coins. Today a coin bearing the D mintmark was minted in Denver, which began production in 1906.

In its population report, NGC shows 8 1841-D half eagles in MS61 with 10 better; PCGS has 5 in MS61 with 9 better; however, these numbers do not account for crossovers or resubmissions, and they include pieces that were not found in the shipwreck. The true rarity of this coin will be discovered when the published reports separate those with treasure provenance.