SALVAGED FROM THE WRECK OF THE S.S. BROTHER JONATHAN
TWENTY DOLLAR GOLD DOUBLE EAGLE LIBERTY "CORONET HEAD" - SAN FRANCISCO MINT TERRITORIAL CALIFORNIA CIVIL WAR GOLD
CERTIFIED BY PCGS ABOUT UNCIRCULATED 55
OBV: LIBERTY HEAD LEFT WITH CORONET HEAD BAND INSCRIBED WITH WORD "LIBERTY", ENCIRCLED BY 13 SIX-POINTED 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 # A74.1
THE SIDEWHEEL PADDLE STEAMER SS. BROTHER JONATHAN, WAS NAMED AFTER A FICTITIONAL CHARACTER THAT REPRESENTED THE PERSONIFICATION OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1783-1815 (AND BEING INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN YANKEE DOODLE AND COLUMBIA & UNCLE SAM).
THE SHIP WAS BUILT IN 1851, AND FERRIED PASSENGERS BOUND FOR GOLD RUSH CALIFORNIA (1848-1855) FROM NEW YORK TO PANAMA. HER ROUTE WAS CHANGED WHEN BOUGHT BY CORNELIUS VANDERBILT IN 1852 TO THE PACIFIC SIDE, FERRYING PASSENGERS FROM NICARAGUA TO CALIFORNIA. SHE CHANGED HANDS AGAIN IN 1856, WAS RENAMED THE COMMODORE, AND HER ROUTE BECAME SAN FRANCISCO TO VANCOUVER, EVENTUALLY FERRYING GOLD PROSPECTORS ENROUTE TO THE FRASER CANYON GOLD RUSH (1858-1860). COMMODORE DELIVERED THE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF STATEHOOD TO OREGON IN 1859, BUT WAS SOLD AGAIN IN 1861 TO THE CALIFORNIA STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY. HER OLD NAME, BROTHER JONATHAN, WAS RESOTRED AND AGAIN AND HELPED "49'er" PROSPECTORS BOUND FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO PORTLAND OR VANCOUVER TO THE SALMON RIVER GOLD RUSH IN IDAHO. SHE WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST AND THE FASTEST STEAMSHIPS IN THE PACIFIC.
HER LAST VOYAGE BEGAN ON JULY 29, 1865. LEAVING SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR, SHE RAN INTO A HEAVY GALE. THE STORM CONTINUED TO WORSEN WITH "FRIGHTFUL WINDS AND STORMY SEAS". THE BROTHER JONATHAN ANCHORED NEAR CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA ON EARLY MORNING JULY 30th, BUT CONTINUED HER VOYAGE IN THE AFTERNOON, RUNNING INTO MORE STORMY WEATHER. AROUND THE CALIFORNIA/OREGON BORDER, THE SEAS BECAME SO ROUGH THAT THE CAPTAIN ORDERED THE SHIP ABOUT TO TRY TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE SAFETY OF THE HARBOR AT CRESCENT CITY. CLOSE TO THE PORT, ONLY 45 MINUTES SINCE THE SHIP HAD TURNED BACK, SHE STRUCK AN UNCHARTERED ROCK NEAR PIONT ST. GEORGE. A LARGE HOLE HAD BEEN TORN IN THE HULL, AND THE CAPTAIN, KNOWING HIS SHIP WAS GOING TO SINK, ORDRED EVERYONE TO ABANDON SHIP. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE ENOUGH LIFEBOATS, THE CREW WAS ONLY ABLE TO LAUNCH THREE IN THE WATER. THE FIRST LIFEBOAT WAS CAPSIZED BY THE ROUGH WAVES, AND THE SECOND WAS DASHED AND SMASHED AGAINST THE SHIP. IN THE END, ONLY ONE LIFEBOAT, WITH 3 CHILDREN, FIVE WOMEN AND 11 CREW ESCAPED. ONLY 19 PEOPLE OUT OF 244 PASENGERS AND CREW SURVIVED, WHICH MADE THE SHIPWRECK THE MOST DEADLY WRECK THE PACIFIC COAST EVER HAD UP TO THAT TIME. AMONG THOSE LOST AT SEA WERE UNION COMMANDER OF THE PACIFIC, BRIGADIER GENERAL GEORGE WRIGHT AND THE BEST FRIEND AND PHYSICIAN OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, DR. ANSON G. HENRY, SURVEYOR GENERAL OF THE WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
THE SHIP HAD BEEN CARRYING OVER 50 MILLION IN GOLD AND VALUABLES, ALL OF WHICH SANK BENEATH THE WAVES. THIS INCLUDED THE ANNUAL GOLD INDIAN TRIBES TREATY PAYMENTS, THE WELLS FARGO SHIPMENTS TO PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER, AND GOLD BROUGHT ON BOARD BY THE PASSENGERS.
FOR OVER 125 YEARS, THE WRECK SITE REMAINED AN ELUSIVE SECRET OF THE PACIFIC. SALVOR ATTEMPTS STARTED TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SHIP SANK AND NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS OCCURED SPORADICALLY OVER THE YEARS. STRONG UNDERWATER CURRENTS, FREQUENT BAD STORMS, ROCKY PASSAGES, THE DARKNESS OF THE DEPTHS AND LACK OF NECESSARY TECHNOLOGY IMPEDED THE DISCOVERY.
THE REMAINS OF THE WRECK, WHICH HAD FLOATED 2 MILES UNDER THE SURFACE AFTER STRIKING THE REEF BEFORE COMING TO A FINAL REST, WAS FOUND IN 1993 BY MINI-SUB AT A DEPTH OF 275 FEET. IN 1996, DIVERS STARTED TO BRING UP GOLD COINS (MOSTLY $20 GOLD DOUBLE EAGLES) AND OTHER ARTIFACTS. THE SAFE, LADEN WITH GOLD BARS, JEWELS AND GOLD COINS, WAS NEVER RECOVERED, AND MANY CRATES OF GOLD REMAIN HIDDEN, UNDISTURBED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN, YET TO BE DISCOVERED.
CONTAINS 33.4360 GRAMS OF .900 FINE GOLD (.9677 OZ AGW)
34 MM IN DIAMETER
DESIGNED BY JAMES B. LONGACRE
