1857-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS MS65 (CAC) Ex. SS Central America

Here is an amazing piece of American history, one that you can own and hold in your hand. The tragic shipwreck of the S.S. Central America has captured the imagination of many Americans. The Central America—as well as other shipwrecks—has inspired numismatists and others to collect the precious relics that have been retrieved from them. This beautiful specimen is the 20A ‘Spiked Shield’ variety of the 1857-S Liberty Head double eagle; there have been 2,233 examples of the ‘Spiked Shield’ recovered from her wreckage. In the 20A variety, PCGS has graded 621 examples in its exclusive Gold Foil Label holder, with 156 finer. In CAC, there are just 2 in MS65 with 5 finer.

One of the relics found among the wreckage of the S.S. Central America is this haunting image of a young woman.

This specimen being offered by AUCM was preserved in amazing 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.