One of the most exciting things we’ve ever been involved in was being a part of the original distribution of the gold coins recovered from the treasure ship S.S. Central America. Sailing from Panama, stopping in Havana, then continuing on its way to New York, it encountered an unexpected hurricane. In those days forecasting of such was not known, but the power of what they called “equinoctial storms” was part of reality for mariners and well documented in history.

What was a sunny day upon leaving Havana soon turned into light winds, then a gale, then into a full-fledged hurricane, what might be called Force 5 today, but who knows? Later accounts said that it ripped up much along the Atlantic seaboard, and great damage was done to shipping. The Central America took on water, the engine stopped, the hull twisted, more water came aboard, and all was feared for lost.

On Saturday, September 12, men, women, and children as well as some crew members escaped by rowboat to the Barc Ellen in the offing, amidst mountainous waves, a miraculous accomplishment. Others had no choice but to remain on board. Finally, Captain Herndon flew the Stars and Stripes upside-down, a signal of distress, and was standing on one of the wheelboxes as the vessel plunged beneath the waves.

Lost were several hundred passengers plus the most numismatically valuable shipment of gold ever to become a sunken treasure. Aboard were recently-struck double eagles from the San Francisco Mint, gold ingots from San Francisco assayers, territorial gold, and more. The estimated official value was about $1,600,000 in bullion alone, plus unregistered gold that had not been declared for insurance. In time, the vessel was largely forgotten.

Fast forward to the 1980s, when Tommy Thompson and Bob Evans, both of Ohio, were part of the Columbus-America Discovery Group. Extensive research was done in archives, involving passenger accounts, newspaper reports, specific locations where passengers had been rescued later, and so on. There were no astronomical sightings to pinpoint the position, as the storm was in effect. Guesses were aplenty, and facts were scarce.

A large section of the Atlantic Ocean was mapped out, and methodical exploration was done by robotic sensor. After much effort and a number of false starts, what appeared to be remnants of a steamship were discerned, including a sidewheel. This was significant, as of the many ships lost in the Atlantic in the general area off of North Carolina, felt to be the most likely place, relatively few were sidewheel steamers. Another exploration brought up lumps of coal, “artifacts” from the wreck, enabling the treasure finders to register their claim.

Still later, the ship’s bell was brought up, confirming the identity of the S.S. Central America.

In a gripping tale of adventure and discovery, the explorers recovered over 5,000 double eagles, mostly dated 1857-S, and in condition virtually as minted, plus ingots and other items. No other treasure of such significance to American numismatists was ever lost at sea, by definition no greater treasure can ever be found.

Beginning in 2000, Dwight Manley headed a group to disperse 92% of the find, the other 8% having been awarded by court decision to claimants of old insurance policies. In Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Dave and a team of researchers set about creating what would turn out to be an eleven-pound book, A California Gold Rush history: Featuring the treasure from the S.S. Central America. Four thousand copies were printed (today they are all sold out). No effort was spared to tell the story of the Gold Rush and everything numismatic about it.

In the meantime, Dave Bowers and others in Wolfeboro, and Dwight Manley and the Goldbergs in California, set about marketing the coins. It was unknown whether such a large quantity could be sold. An artistic representation of the S.S. Central America, a side of the ship with appropriate portholes and the like, was constructed, called the “Ship of Gold,” and was exhibited at the American Numismatic Association Convention in Philadelphia in the year 2000, drawing a fantastic crowd. One by one the ingots and coins were sold, and before anyone knew it, they were all gone.

Then came the question of the aftermarket. Once sold, would they continue to be in demand? The answer was a resounding YES! Demand actually increased, and those who missed out scrambled to try to find examples. Today the market is as active as ever.

More about the S.S. Central America is told in the front part of the Guide Book of United States Coins. According to latest information from Whitman Publishing LLC, it is hoped to put out a second edition of Dave’s book, perhaps in softbound version and in a larger print quantity, as the list price on the first version was $250 per copy—not exactly affordable to everyone, but the cost of production, including research, was incredible.

Now, the second time around, those costs have been paid for, and perhaps a “popular” edition could be put out in a different format. If this happens, Stack’s customers will be the first to know!

In the meantime, we have been busy buying and selling ingots, 1857-S double eagles, and the like. Actually, the cream of the crop, gradewise, consists of these 1857-S double eagles. We are honored and privileged to have acquired a group of them recently, plus a few double eagles of other varieties.

All of these are in the original PCGS holders with Gold Insert, and are especially important because of that. Some well meaning buyers of these coins took them out of the holders upon receipt, and sent them to other grading services, hoping that what PCGS called MS-62 might become MS-64 elsewhere, or whatever. Accordingly, those in the original packaging are not as available as they once were.

This particular offering is quite attractive, and we direct your interest toward it. Each coin has a fantastic story to tell!

1855-S S.S.C.A. $20. Dies 14A. Broken A, Full E. AU-58 (PCGS Gold Insert)(CAC).
Bright and lustrous yellow gold with strong mint bloom and excellent eye appeal for the grade. Devoid of marks of consequence and truly choice as such—these heavy gold coins frequently took serious hits in circulation, often after just a brief stay in commerce. Broken crossbar in A of STATES. Choice for the grade. Includes original display box and certificate of authenticity. $5,950

1856-S S.S.C.A. $20. Dies 17K. No Serif, Spiked F. AU-55 (PCGS Gold Insert)(CAC).
Deeply lustrous yellow gold with strong honey highlights. Pleasing for the grade with no marks worthy of reporting despite a limited stay in circulation. No serif on left upright of U in UNITED, weak crossbar on A of STATES, tiny spike on bottom of center serif on F in OF. Pleasing in all regards. Includes original display box and certificate of authenticity. $5,550

1856-S S.S.C.A. $20. Dies 17M. No Serif, Full A. AU-55 (PCGS Gold Insert)(CAC).
Deep honey gold with strong lustre and fiery orange highlights. Modestly circulated but only lightly marked—no single mark is apt to draw the viewer’s eye immediately. No serif on left upright of U in UNITED, complete crossbar on A of STATES, broken top to E in AMERICA. A pleasing survivor from the second year of San Francisco Mint operations. Includes original display box and certificate of authenticity. $5,550

1857-S S.S.C.A. $20. Bold S. MS-66 (PCGS Gold Insert))(CAC).
A splended lustrous Gem example from the wreck of the S.S. Central America.Brilliant and sharply struck. Variety with bold “S” mintmark. Virtually as nice as the day that the S.S. America went down into the briny deep.Includes original display box and certificate of authenticity. $27,500

1857-S S.S.C.A. $20. Dies 20A. Spiked Shield. MS-64 (PCGS)(CAC).
A frosty and lustrous honey gold specimen with intense cartwheel activity and unyielding eye appeal. A few stray marks are all that keep this from a much finer grade. Tiny “spikes” from shield below the eagle’s dexter (viewer’s left) wing. Choice for the grade. Includes original display box and certificate of authenticity. $9,750

1857-S $20 SSCA. Spike Shield MS-64 (PCGS Gold insert). (CAC).
Bright swirls of lustre with pale gold central devices and splashes of honey gold iridescence toward the rim. The coin has a razor sharp strike and is just a hair away from being a gem. Includes the original display box and certificate of authenticity. $9,750

1857-S SSCA $20. 20B, Bold S . AU-58 (PCGS Gold Insert) (CAC).
Lustrous and lovely with light honey gold devices and splashes of deep gold toward the rim and protected areas. Sharply struck. $5,300

1857-S SSCA $20. 20D Bold 7, Faint S. AU-55 (PCGS Gold Insert) (GOLD CAC).
Wow! Deep honey gold surfaces with an almost cameo reflectivity in the fields. Sharply struck, very attractive and extremely nice for the grade, hence the gold CAC sticker! Includes the original display box and certificate of authenticity. $5,125