The
numismatic adventure can be enriched by acquiring groups of
coins in meaningful combinations. Sets of coins can run from
two pieces to many. In the areas of rare date and early silver
and gold coins we have established certain sets of special
interest. They include the first and last of an issue, type
sets, design sets, year sets, and those that are joined by
historical events such as the Civil War. The coins of each
set are specially selected for you and your collecting needs.
We are specialists in this
area and will expertly and confidentially help you assemble
a set similar to the one you see below, which is made up of
pieces from the US Rare Coin Investments’ archives.
We will cherry pick through millions of dollars of rare coins
selecting only the finest quality pieces for your collection.
A Set of 1856-S Double
Eagle SS Central America - 1861 Double Eagle Republic
Sunken treasure has always
been parts of dreams. Because of modern scientific techniques,
the recovery and conservation of treasure coins make them
much more accessible to the public. For years historians
have known about ships that were laden with gold coins and
bullion that were lost at sea. Currently coins from many
of these wrecks are available and have been certified by
NGC and PCGS. Gold coin are often well preserved or more
easily conserved than other metals. Double eagles are especially
appealing because of their large size; they are available
from the wrecks of the SS Central America, which was lost
heading from Havana to New York in 1857 and the SS Republic,
which sank off the coast of Georgia in 1865.
Until
the discovery of the SS Central America, 1850’s
double eagles in mint condition were virtually unavailable.
The ship, originally called the SS George Law, was
a United States mail steamship. In 1857 it sank off
the coast of the Carolinas because of a huge hurricane.
It was a three-mast, side-wheel steamship that traveled
between Panama and New York. The journey took approximately
21 days. In the five years prior to its sinking, it
has been estimated that the Central America carried
about $150 million worth of gold or one-third of all
of the gold mined in California. The ship was 272
feet long and had 578 passengers and crew on board.
It also had on board over 35,000 pieces of mail, gold
bars, nuggets, dust, and 5,200 newly minted San Francisco
gold coins from the West, of which the present coin
is one. The loss of the Central America triggered
the “Panic of 1857,” which was caused
by bank instability and generally poor economic conditions.
1856-S
Double Eagle, SS Central America
- Mint frost and shimmering luster characterize this
shipwrecked 1856-S double eagle. A couple of minor
contact marks on Liberty’s cheek probably keep
this beauty from the gem grade. The strike is sharp
on both sides. On the obverse we see every detail
of Liberty’s hair, coronet, stars and dentils.
Similarly, the reverse is sharp and clear. Every ray,
star, feather, line in the shield, arrow, olive branch,
claw, and letter is well struck and fully visible.
No doubt the excellent condition of this coin is attributable
to its high state of preservation in the shipwreck.
1861
Double Eagle, SS Republic - During
the California Gold Rush, the SS Republic, then called
the Tennessee, was used to transport miners to the
shore of Panama and Nicaragua to travel to the California
gold fields. For several years the ship was used to
carry immigrants to the Unites States from Mexico.
When the Civil War began, the ship was docked in New
Orleans. She was seized by the Confederates and used
as a blockade runner. After the capture of New Orleans
by the North, she became the flagship of Admiral Farragut
for the end of the Mississippi Campaign. In 1864,
she resumed transporting passengers and cargo from
New York to New Orleans.
The next year she sank in a hurricane
off the coast of Savannah. In 2003, the Odyssey Republic
Expedition, after twelve years of searching, discovered
and began the recovery of the ship’s treasure.
The cargo had been untouched for 138 years approximately
100 miles off the coast of Georgia. “Lost Gold
of the Republic,” a film produced by National
Graphic, documents the discovery and recovery. The
coins recovered from the SS Republic are labeled as
such by NGC and its affiliate NCS not only to note
the historic significance of the coins, but also to
indicate that these coins have been professionally
conserved. The blue NGC tag was used exclusively for
coins from the Republic.
This Civil War dated 1861 Double Eagle
from the shipwrecked Republic is tied for the second
finest at NGC. The coin shows a strong strike with
full details on the centers of the stars and the design
features of the reverse. Subdued, satiny mint luster
is seen on both sides of the piece. A few abrasion
marks keep this coin from a higher Mint State grade.
The surfaces of this are original and free of individual
marks worthy of description.
