1857-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle, 20A PCGS MS64 Ex. SS Central America

This specimen is from the earliest retrieval mission of the SS Central America back in 2003. In fact, it is the 51^st coin retrieved from the SSCA in 2003! The exclusive PCGS Gold Foil label tells you that this important piece is from that first, earlier mission. The Gold Foil label is an important pedigree for enthusiasts of shipwreck gold coinage. PCGS has graded 1,106 of the 20A Spiked Shield variety of the 1857-S as Gold Label MS64, with 785 finer. Collectors Universe prices this issue/variety as $12,500.00 in MS64.

Gold coins found among the wreckage of the SS Central America on the ocean’s floor.

This 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.