Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 128

June 26-30, 2022 Coin Auction

SS Central America Treasure

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 747		1854-O. Arrows, Huge O. PCGS graded AU-55. CAC. A frosty white example with a touch of tone. The huge O was likely created when the coiner/engraver in New Orleans noticed the reverse die from Philadelphia did not include the "O" mintmark, although the reverse die was appparently hardened already, an "O" was hand engraved into the proper place, a bit too large and too deep, but was necessary for the records. The stress of engraving new letters on a hardened die soon appeared with numerous die cracks and retained cuds, so mintage of this issue was indeed quite limited. This is one of the finest survivors known today, as it was lost at sea in 1857, shortly after it was struck and picked up in New Orleans in 1857 when the ill fated S. S. Central America made its last port of call on it way to New York Harbor, but ended with its sinking in September of 1857 in a powerful hurricane many miles off the North Carolina coast. Housed in a special PCGS holder with gold dust from the find. A Premium Quality example as confirmed by the CAC green sticker. Pop 1; 2 in 58 as finest graded at PCGS. Estimated Value $10,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. From our Sale 117, lot 1250 (realized $11,400). View details and enlarged photos	Realized $13,800
Lot 748		1857-S. PCGS graded MS-65 PQ. Spiked Shield. Well struck and intensely lustrous with satiny surfaces throughout. An incredible gem that will please any specialist who demands high quality and rich eye appeal. The surfaces are outstanding with nary a tick to be found and blazing luster throughout. These freshly minted double eagles were being shipped to the east coast for general circulation, but never quite made it with their unscheduled detour of 135 years or more on the ocean floor off North Carolina. A glorious example from this famed shipwreck. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. Estimated Value $12,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $13,800
Lot 749		1855/4 Quarter Dollar Octagonal Liberty. Breen and Gillio-106 Rarity 3. PCGS graded MS-63. The planchet has a thin crack on the lower right obverse, upper right reverse. A few scattered toning specks are found when closely examined, but the eye appeal is clearly in the choice category. Well struck and scarce. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. Mostly untoned with semi reflective fields. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,620
Lot 750		1856 Quarter Dollar Octagonal Liberty. Breen and Gillio-107 Low Rarity 4. PCGS graded MS-62. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. An area of mottled toning on both sides likely caused by the gold plating over the baser gold core, which didn't fair well after 150 years or so on the ocean floor allowing a distinctive and rarely seen toning event to transpire on both sides of this important SSCA discovery. Pop 3; 2 in 62, 2 in 64. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,560
Lot 751		1856 Quarter Dollar Octagonal Liberty. Breen and Gillio-111 Rarity 3. PCGS graded MS-64 Prooflike. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. The strike is sharp and the surfaces are near gem quality. A glittering untoned beauty! Pop 2; 11 finer. Estimated Value $2,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,100
Lot 752		1856 Quarter Dollar Octagonal Liberty Head. Breen and Gillio-111 Rarity 3. PCGS graded MS-63 Plus Prooflike. A handful of Prooflike examples exist, including this lovely choice example, which happened to be recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. That makes is quite special, along with a pinch of gold dust also found at the site of the shipwreck. Glowing reflectivity and well frosted on the devices. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. A lovely and intensely lustrous example. Pop 1; 13 finer. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,920
Lot 753		1854 Quarter Dollar Round Liberty. Breen and Gillio-216 Rarity 6. PCGS graded MS-63. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust also recovered from the S. S. Central America. Lightly toned and downright rare in any grade as only a handful are known this nice with just two finer in the general popularion. This particular coin is the only such example of this die pairing recovered from the SS Central America. Nice color and surfaces, with ample eye appeal for the collector. Pop 1 the only example found from this find. Estimated Value $2,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,220
Lot 754		n.d. (1852/4) Quarter Dollar Round Liberty. Breen and Gillio-222 Rarity 2. PCGS graded MS-61. Although a plentiful issue from this historic period, this is the only example recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. The fields are somewhat reflective while the devices are frosty. Pleasing color and good visual appeal. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. A lovely untoned example. Pop 1. The only example graded at PCGS from this shipwreck . Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,620
Lot 755		n.d. (1852/4) Quarter Dollar Round Liberty. Breen and Gillio-224 Rarity 3. PCGS graded MS-62. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. The surfaces and quality here are simply lovely, with satin frost on the devices and well mirrored reflective fields. The expression on Liberty has to be noted, her eye is focused and glaring at some unseen person before her, and while working on such a tiny artistic canvass is undoubtedly a great challenge, this coin seems to have a lot to say as captured by the talented artist of the 1850s. A lovely untoned example. Pop 1; 1 in 65. Estimated Value $2,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,710
Lot 756		1856 Quarter Dollar Round Liberty. Breen and Gillio-229 Rarity 4. PCGS graded MS-64+ Proof Like. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. A limited number of these important franctional gold pieces were carefully lifted from the ocean floor in more recent return trips to the Ship of Gold sinking site. This is one of the scarcer issues found and one in splendid condition as well. A gorgeous example in greenish-gold with proof-like surfaces. Pop 1; 7 finer. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,620
Lot 757		1856 Quarter Dollar Round Liberty Head. Breen and Gillio-229 Rarity 4. PCGS graded MS-65. A splendid gem of this scarce issue, which was recoved along with much gold from the shipwreck of the S. S. Central America. Oustanding surfaces and eye appeal for this issue, with somewhat refletive fields noted. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust also from that same whipwreck. A dazzling gem example. Pop 1; 5 finer. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,560
Lot 758		1856 Half Dollar Octagonal Liberty. Breen and Gillio-307 High Rarity 5. PCGS graded MS-63 Prooflike. The 2 of 1/2 is boldly doubled to the right on the reverse, adding collector interest. The fields have bold reflectivity and were thus awarded the hard won "Prooflike" designation from PCGS. A glittering, reflective jewel that was recently recovered from this ffamed shipwreck. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust that was recovered from the ocean floor surrounding the wreckage of this ship. Pop 4; 4 finer. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,620
Lot 759		1856 Half Dollar Octagonal Liberty Head. Breen and Gillio-307, High Rarity 5. PCGS graded MS-63. Boldly struck throughout with sharp definition and somewhat reflective fields. One minor planchet flake is raised, but still attached on the left side of the reverse. A tough issue to find at all, let alone as this is one of the finer examples seen. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust from the shipwreck. Pop 3; 1 in 65. Estimated Value $1,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,500
Lot 760		1856 Half Dollar Octagonal Liberty. Breen and Gillio-311, Low Rarity 4. PCGS graded MS-66 PL. Incredible quality for this issue with fully mirrored surfaces on the die fields, and glorious preservation which must in part be a result of the shipwreck in 1857, This coin obviously never circulated, but was preserved with a few others that also offer the enticing prooflike mirror fields for this issue. An incredible find! Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust recovered from this shipwreck. A lovely example with dazzling proof-like surfaces. Pop 1; 4 finer. Estimated Value $3,000 - UP View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,720
Lot 761		1853 Half Dollar Round Liberty. Breen and Gillio-430 Rarity 3. PCGS graded AU-58. This is a wonderful find from the SS Central American shipwreck, as it shows these small California Fractional Gold coins were in circulation in 1857 when the owner of such a coin left San Francisco to return to the East Coast via the shores of Panama. Having made the journey south to Panama and emerging on the Atlantic side of world, boarded the S. S. Central America bound for New York, only to flounder in the swamping waves and rain of a hurricane in September of 1857, and sink to the ocean floor. While many were rescued as the ship took on water, over 400 souls perished when the waves overtook and sank the ill fated Central America. This coin was recently recovered from the wreck site, and is now available to collectors. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust that was also recovered from this shipwreck. Lightly toned with pleasing semi proof-like fields. Estimated Value $1,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,740
Lot 762		1856 Half Dollar Round Liberty Head. Breen and Gillio-434 Rarity 4. PCGS graded MS-65 Plus. A towering gem example of this scarce issue, which offers a perfectly bold strike as well as splendid surfaces that show no signs of handling or abuse. Recovered from the ocean floor in the later recoveries from the SS Central America, with its glittering surfaces instact and pristine. A joy to behold. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. A glittering gem! Pop 1 with 1 in 66. Estimated Value $2,000 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,160
Lot 763		1856 Half Dollar Round Liberty. Breen and Gillio-434 Low Rarity 4. PCGS graded MS-64 Prooflike. Especially bright and reflective, with full mirror fields on both sides and one of the few so designated as Prooflike. The strike is bold throughout as well. Excellent surfaces and quality, nudging ever so close to the gem grade. Housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust. Pop 1; 8 finer. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,400
Lot 764		Justh & Hunter 51.78 oz 889 Fine $951.57 Gold Bar #4307. This is one of the incredible gold bar recovered from the 1857 shipwreck of the S. S. Central America, apparently a more recent find on one of the return trips to scour the ocean floor for additional gold and artifacts it's in the new book Americas Greatest Treasure Ship: The Second Treasure Finding Journey. Justh & Hunter were partners and two of the more reliable and well known smelters and refiners in the gold rush region in California. They cast gold bars with their proper weight and assay stamped on the bars with their well known names from the early days of the gold rush. Located in both Marysville and San Francisco, the Justh & Hunter "brand" was well recognized and brought full value when encountered. Most of the gold recovered from the gold fields was in the form of gold dust, difficult to assay and of varying purity and quality depending on a number of factors. Hence, the miners involved in its recovery had to get their gold assayed and melted into a recognizable form. There were not a lot of assayers in the area of the gold fields, but they provided a welcome service to the miners who could otherwise be taken for a very large percentage by the unscrupulous when selling or battering with their gold dust. Once gold dust had been melted and cast into bar form like this, a corner could be cut off the bar, assayed, then the exact fineness and weight could be determined, and value of course, leaving no question as to the value of a gold bar, but a canvass bag with a like quantity of dust had no easily determined value without known purity of the dust. Prior to the recovery of these incredible gold bars from the SS Central America, such bars were known in theory only. Incredibly, there were dozens of these gold bars strewn about the ocean floor after the catastrophic sinking of the SS. Central America in September of 1857 in a hurricane hundreds of miles off the coast of North Carolina. The news of the loss of the ship, its golden cargo, and many lives caused a financial panic in New York. Today these recovered relics are historic treasures from the height of the Gold Rush, and fantastic reminders of those heady days when "strike it rich" was a common reality. Holding this lovely and hefty gold bar brings history home in a very special way, having traveled from the valleys and streams of California, to the narrow coast of Panama via the Pacific Ocean, onto the sidewheeler steamship S.S. Central America in the Atlantic Ocean, only to fail after weeks of travel well short of their east coast destination. Estimated Value $150,000 - 200,000 Ex Ship of Gold Treasure. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $180,000