S.S. REPUBLIC SIDEWHEEL STEAMSHIP 1865 SHIPWRECK SALVAGED TREASURE
U.S. TWENTY DOLLAR 1851 LIBERTY DOUBLE EAGLE COIN "CIVIL WAR GOLD"
CERTIFIED BY NGC ABOUT UNCIRCULATED 58
OBV: BUST OF A DIADEMED LIBERTY LEFT ENCIRCLED BY 13 SIX-POINTED AND SEGMENTED STARS; DATE BELOW.
REV: AMERICAN BALD EAGLE ARMS WITH FLANKING ORNATE MOTTO SCROLL, RADIANT ABOVE WITH A HALO OF 13 SIX-POINTED STARS; DENOMINATION BELOW.
KM # 74.1
ORIGINALLY NAMED THE TENNESSEE (AND THEN THE MOBILE), THE BALTIMORE BUILT SIDEWHEEL STEAMSHIP WAS RENAMED THE S.S. REPUBLIC IN 1865.
BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, SHE SAW SERVICE FIRST AS A MERCHANT SHIP TRAVELLING BETWEEN MARYLAND AND CHARLESTON, THEN SAW TRANSATLANTIC SERVICE TO EUROPE AND WAS THE FIRST REGULAR PASSENGER STEAMSHIP BETWEEN NEW YORK AND CENTRAL AMERICA.
THE SHIP FERRIED CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH "49'er" PROSPECTORS TO NICARAGUA AND PANAMA, WHO THEN TRAVELLED BY LAND TO CALIFORNIA. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, SHE WAS A PASSENGER AND GOLD AND SILVER TRANSPORT VESSEL FROM VERA CRUZ TO NEW ORLEANS, AND SHE WAS IN THE LATTER CITY WHEN THE WAR BEGAN.
IN THE CIVIL WAR, SHE WAS USED AS A CONFEDERATE BLOCKADE RUNNER, AND AFTER THE UNION CAPTURED NEW ORLEANS, WAS IMPRESSED INTO ARMED SERVICE IN THE FEDERAL NAVY, AND WAS THE FLAGSHIP OF ADMIRAL FARRAGUT AT THE END OF THE MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN. SHE SAW USE AS A FAST BLOCKADE SHIP AND A POWERFUL GUNSHIP.
AFTER BEING DAMAGED IN A HURRICANE IN 1864, SHE WAS DECOMMISSIONED AND SOLD AT AUCTION IN 1865, WHEN THE STEAMSHIP WAS RENAMED S.S. REPUBLIC. ON HER FIFTH VOYAGE BETWEEN NEW YORK TO NEW ORLEANS, SHE RAN INTO A HURRICANE OFF THE COAST OF GEORGIA. SHE WAS CARRYING $400,000 IN $10 AND $20 GOLD PIECES TO SUPPLY HARD TO COME BY "HARD MONEY" TO THE VANQUISHED BUT THRIVING SOUTHERN PORT.
THE HURRICANE BATTERED THE POOR VESSEL AND BY THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 24th, THE BOILER HAD BEEN EXTINGUISHED BY WATER AND THE ENGINE STALLED. BY 4 PM THE NEXT DAY, THE SHIP SANK, THE CREW AND PASSENGERS ESCAPING INTO FOUR LIFEBOATS, AND LEFT TO BATTLE 40 FOOT SEAS.
REMARKABLY, MOST OF THE PASSENGERS AND CREW SURVIVED, BUT THE COINS WERE LOST.
IN 2003, A COMMERCIAL ARCHAEOLOGY COMPANY OUT OF TAMPA DISCOVERED THE WRECK SITE. THE SHIP LAY IN 1,700 FEET OF WATER ABOUT 100 MILES SOUTH OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. $75 MILLION DOLLARS, ABOUT A THIRD OF THE RARE GOLD AND SILVER COINS, WERE RECOVERED.
CONTAINS 33.4360 GRAMS OF .900 FINE GOLD (.9670 OZ AGW)
34 MM IN DIAMETER
DESIGNED BY JAMES B. LONGACRE
