1856-S $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle Gold Ship of Gold Shipwreck Coin PCGS AU 53 - - Collector's Coin

Coin has been graded PCGS AU 53, also includes California Gold Dust from 1857. The S.S. Central America, known as the "Ship of Gold", operated during the 1850's transporting newly minted treasures from the Eastern end of the Panama Railroad up to New York. She reliably did this twice a month until the largest hurricane of the 19th century struck on September 11, 1857, sending 425 souls to the ocean floor the next day, September 12, 1857 along with millions of dollars in fabulous gold ingots, gold and silver coins, and raw gold ore. The Sinking and loss of the cargo was so important to the financial market, that the event led to the great financial panic of 1857. Now, over 160 years later, this is one of the 3,154 gold coins recovered in 2014 from the S.S. Central America. This treasure was personally curated by Bob Evans, and authenticated and encapsulated by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), the official grading service of the S.S. Central America. Please see the images for further details on the condition of the coin.