1857-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle 20A, PCGS MS63 Ex. SS Central America

This piece displays the attractive mint luster typical to shipwreck salvaged coins, with surfaces that remain undiminished and unaltered by immersion in salt water. Out of the original mintage of 970,500, there have been 345 graded PCGS MS63 with the "Gold Foil Label," Variety 20A "Spiked Shield" with 1,861 finer.

The stuff of legends becomes reality when you purchase a golden artifact from the tragic wreck of the S.S. Central America.

The example offered by AUCM was preserved in remarkable condition. That is not surprising, considering that the 1857-S double eagle never had the opportunity to become an instrument of commerce. That is because the S.S. Central America sunk in 1857, the year the piece was struck in San Francisco. Some may wonder how a coin, such as the current offering, could be so well preserved after sitting at the bottom of the ocean for a good 130 years. The vessel landed under 8,000 feet of water: a dark, freezing, and unwelcoming place where there was no current or disturbance whatsoever. Additionally, gold is a stable metal and contact with salt water has little effect. Even more, and most importantly, the vast majority of the coins retrieved from the ship were packed in wooden boxes that were tightly stacked, giving them even more protection from the elements.