1857-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. Variety-20A. Spiked Shield. Gold S.S. Central America Label. MS-65 (PCGS).An awe-inspiring Gem, both sides are bathed in satiny rose-gold luster with a faint patina of powder blue hues. The razor sharp striking detail is emphasized by remarkable prooflike quality in the fields. pThis double eagle and others were originally lost on September 12, 1857, during a hurricane that left the engines of the emS.S. Central America/em unable to combat the increasingly inundating seas. Traversing the Caribbean and Atlantic between Panama and New York City with a stop at Havana, the steamer was transporting more than 500 passengers and crew along with over nine metric tons of gold from the hills of California. Intense wind and raging seas eventually plunged the vessel nearly 8,000 feet to the ocean floor, claiming over 400 lives and $1.2 million worth of gold (1857 value). Incorrectly, many historians have stated that the loss contributed heavily to the Panic of 1857, but this is not true, as it began in the summer of 1857, well before the shipment of gold left California.pLeft undisturbed for more than a century, the wreck was eventually discovered in September of 1988. Beginning in 1999 pieces came onto the market, followed by the marvelous "Ship of Gold" exhibit arranged by Dwight Manley. The ingots and coins have enchanted collectors and enthusiasts ever since. As the coins had settled to great depths, they were not disturbed and etched by the tidal forces that have marred the surfaces of so many other shipwreck recovery coins. A gentle bath, administered under the care of scientist and discoverer Bob Evans, removed stains and debris to restore the surfaces, rendering them as brilliant as the day the coins left the San Francisco Mint.Ex S.S. Central America. SSCA #4027.
