More than a decade after the California Gold Rush began in earnest in 1849, prospectors continued their successes throughout the Pacific Northwest, encountering deposits in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Employing a complex system of overland passages and short-sea shipping using both the Columbia River and the Pacific, much of this ore was directed south to San Francisco, which served as the economic hub of the region. The crew of the 220-foot, 1,181-ton steamer S.S. Brother Jonathan knew this Pacific voyage well by 1865. Years earlier in 1859, the ship delivered the dispatch of Oregon s statehood to Portland from San Francisco in an era in which there were no telegraph connections. It continued active transport of passengers and cargo between these two ports throughout the 1860s, serving in the fleet of the California Steam Navigation Company. On Friday, July 28, 1865, the S.S. Brother Jonathan sailed through the Golden Gate strait with an estimated 300 passengers and crew and a suspected $500,000 in coined treasure destined for Portland. Once in the open Pacific, strong winds and heavy waves tossed and slowed the vessel. After 36 hours of delayed locomotion, sanctuary was found in the harbor of Crescent City; a northern California village located just before the Oregon border. The early morning hours of Sunday, July 30th saw transactions of mail, cargo, and passengers between the harbor and the vessel, and by 9:30 Captain S.J. DeWolf had cast off from the wharf in anticipation of continuing the journey. A limited calm was allowed by the stone breakwater, but once back on the open ocean conditions had only worsened overnight. Despite clearer overhead skies, waves and wind caused even more disruption, forcing the S.S. Brother Jonathan to turn back for the shelter of Crescent City after only two hours of northward steaming. Just before 2 o clock in the afternoon the ship was again within sight of the harbor. Equally propelled by hopeful desperation and a strong tailwind, the vessel quickly approached the port and the anchors were appropriately readied. Suddenly and without warning, an uncharted rock halted all momentum, splintering the hull and tossing the occupants like pebbles in a sluice box. Impaled and stranded, the S.S. Brother Jonathan was repeatedly raised and dropped onto the rock and the decks quickly flooded. The appropriate distress signals were displayed and the life jackets were distributed, but only one tiny wooden boat managed to escape the chaos; the passengers watching from a distance as Captain DeWolf went down with the ship. An estimated 21 survivors returned to shore shortly afterwards and quickly lost hope that more would follow. Despite several attempts at location, the wreckage remained undisturbed for more than 125 years before Deep Sea Research, Inc. encountered it during a series of explorations in the 1990s. With its reclamation, more than 1,200 coins were reintroduced to the numismatic market, composed heavily of Liberty double eagles like that offered here. This gorgeous jewel is toned in lustrous honey-gold , with deeper amber at the reverse border. Liberty is exceptionally rendered on the obverse, with handsome intricacy to the coronet beading, profile elements and peripheral stars. The reverse motifs offer a similar sharpness and are impressively detailed throughout the central elements. A web of die cracks (as made) interconnects the surrounding legend of this side, culminating in a moderate cud (also as made) at 8 o clock that contributes to the fascination of this piece. Even the most vulnerable regions are notably smooth for the assigned grade. Magnified inspection reveals the slightest light texturing from over a century in the Pacific depths, though this is entirely unnoticed to the naked eye. This coin offers a perfect combination of historic and aesthetic charm. ， Provenance: Ex S.S. Brother Jonathan . Est. $15,000-$20,000
