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Pascual Esquerra was a Chilean (and possibly Spanish-descended) businessman and passenger aboard the SS Central America, a steamship that sank in a hurricane on September 12, 1857, off the Carolina coast while carrying California Gold Rush wealth eastward.
Esquerra perished in the disaster (one of over 400 lives lost). He was traveling with a personal hoard of silver coins—primarily Chilean silver from the Santiago mint, dated 1853–1856, including 50 centavos and 1-peso denominations (90% fine silver). These coins, recovered during the ship's salvage expeditions, were stored in his luggage or personal chests (likely in the purser's safe or nearby). Unlike the ship's massive gold cargo (ingots, coins, and dust valued at billions today), Esquerra's was a smaller, identifiable passenger hoard.
Initially, PCGS encapsulated the surviving examples from the SS Central America gold foil holder. This makes them unique among SSCA recoveries, as the original owner's identity is known—rare for shipwreck treasures. His story highlights the human element of the famous "Ship of Gold" wreck: a privileged merchant carrying wealth homeward (possibly to Spain) who met a tragic end.
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