1857-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle, 20D PCGS AU58 Ex. SS Central America

Encased in the PCGS "Gold Foil Label" holder, this piece is the "20D Bold 7 Faint S" variety. PCGS has graded 176 of this variety as AU58, with 207 finer.

The night of September 11-12, 1857, saw the tragic sinking of the S.S. Central America, when 425 of her 578 passengers and crew perished at sea in a category 2 hurricane with 105 MPH winds. Plus the sinking of 30,000 pounds (14,000 kg) of gold coins on board was a major contributing factor to the economic Panic of 1857. Therefore this 1857-S double eagle is an important and fascinating piece of numismatic history.

Gold coins from the S.S. Central America sitting on the ocean's floor, at 8000 feet in 34 degree water. The coin offered by AUCM may very well be found in this photo.

Numismatic writer and gold specialist Doug Winter tells us, "The discovery [of the S.S. Central America treasure] literally kick-started the wider market for this series and today the 1857-S is desirable to collectors, investors, and history lovers alike .... This is a well-struck issue. The hair detail on the obverse is sharp with many of the curls and the strands at the top of Liberty's head showing individual definition. The stars usually have full radial lines and the denticles are sharp and clear. On the reverse, ... the overall [details are] excellent with detail[s] not seen on most Type One issues from the San Francisco mint."