1836 $5 Classic Head Half Eagle, Block-8 NGC MS63+ (CAC) Ex. SB Pulaski

A specimen such as this is seldom offered. Besides its rarity, it is also a survivor of the Steamship Pulaski tragedy of June 14, 1838. An explosion on board resulted in her sinking 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina, with the loss of two-thirds of the passengers and crew. About 59 people survived, while 128 perished at sea. The starboard boiler blew up an hour before midnight, causing substantial damage as the Pulaski was traveling from Savannah to Baltimore. She sank in around 45 minutes.

It was in 2018 that divers located 14 gold coins and 24 silver coins is a spot "no bigger than a cigar box." This stunning offering from AUCM was found in that small area. NGC has graded 28 as MS63 with 12 finer. Out of its original mintage of 553,147, there have only been 1,376 graded by NGC. In CAC, there are 11 in MS63, with just 6 finer.

Illustration of the Steamship Pulaski disaster of June 14, 1838. Source: Wikipedia.org