1857-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle, 20A variety PCGS MS66 (CAC) Ex.SS Central America w/box & COA - and gold nuggets

This stunning example displays attractive mint luster that is characteristic of shipwreck salvaged coins, with surfaces that remain undiminished and unchanged by immersion in salt water for 130 years. Please take a careful look at the images provided by AUCM of this uber-attractive coin. This piece is the popular 20A (Spiked Shield) variety. PCGS has graded 136 of the 20A variety as MS66 with only 16 finer. Collectors Universe prices this variety at $35,000.00 in MS66. In CAC, there are 76 in MS66 with 19 finer. CAC gives the 1857-S $20 Spiked Shield a price of $33,600.00 in MS66.

Wreck of the SS Central America. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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.