The Story of the SS Republic Treasure
by Adam Crum
In October of 1865, six months after the end of the Civil War, the side-wheel steamer SS Republic was bound from New York to New Orleans. Aboard the former Civil War blockade ship was precious cargo to aid in the rebuilding of the war-ravaged city of New Orleans to its prewar glory. Unfortunately, the ship never made port, sinking in a massive hurricane off the coast of Georgia. The ship and its cargo, including a reported $400,000 in gold and silver coins, came to rest 1,700 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Nearly 140 years later a team of salvage experts, aided by state-of-the-art electronics and recovery equipment, found and brought to the surface a stunning treasure trove of numismatic classics.
The quality of the coins recovered cannot be overstated. You see, during and just after the Civil War, in both the North and especially the South, gold and silver coins were a valued but extremely scarce commodity. Rampant inflation, caused by both sides financing their huge war costs through the near-nonstop printing of paper currency, resulted in the widespread hoarding of “hard money.” At the end of the war, the South, for all practical purposes, was broke… its paper money was worthless, its hard money virtually gone. The years following the Civil War saw wild fluctuations in the value of gold and silver. As a result of these fluctuations, many of the coins of this era were melted or saw heavy circulation.
The wonderful and rare SS Republic treasure gold in the small collection we recently purchased are available today only because of the tragic loss of the SS Republic. The coins offered here are all beautifully preserved in their pristine condition due to the fact that they were locked in a time capsule at the bottom of the deep blue sea.
Each gold coin in this small collection are of the $10 denomination, or more commonly known as gold “No Motto” Liberty Eagles” minted prior to the 1865. Many of these coins have the highly collected New Orleans mint mark which is denoted with the letter “O” on the reverse below the tail feathers.
I am excited to announce that Monaco Rare Coins has been able to acquire this near complete date and mint mark collection in tact and they are ready for immediate acquisition and delivery. The average grade is AU53-AU55, which is amazing given the fact that many of these rarities are nearly impossible to find in ANY condition.
Here is the most exciting part of this deal: We are now offering these last remaining coins for BIG savings over what many SS Republic coins have been sold for by the discovery group in their initial offering, which has been sold out for years. How can we do this? Very simple: “Cash is King,” especially when negotiating for an entire collection.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to own a beautiful and certified piece of Civil War history. This collection of only 29 coins, all different dates and mint marks, will not last long. Call your Monaco representative as soon as possible at 888-900-9948.