This historic shipwreck treasure remains one of the finest survivors of this San Francisco double eagle. It displays lovely apricot-gold color throughout. Fully struck with virtually pristine surfaces and subtle prooflike reflectivity in the fields, this coin would do justice to the finest gold type set or specialized cabinet of Liberty Head double eagles. This coin is housed in a special large size PCGS holder that also includes one pinch of California gold dust. The back of the PCGS insert features the signature of Bob Evans, chief scientist and historian of the SS Central America treasure. Under Evans' signature is the note: "I certify this coin and gold dust were recovered from the S.S. Central America."

The year 1857 saw two major events occur that had long lasting effects on the United States economy. Throughout the early 1850s, the railroads began a rapid expansion throughout the nation in an effort to unite major commercial centers and eventually the East Coast with the West Coast. In the process, railroad companies embarked on an overly ambitious construction spree which required considerable financing, which banks were eager to provide. It became apparent that many of these railroad companies were built on empty promises and no assets. The bubble in railroad stocks burst in the summer of 1857, beginning a bear market that accelerated rapidly after several major companies failed. On August 24, the dam broke when the Ohio Life Insurance & Trust Company collapsed entirely. That failure precipitated a massive run on the banks that when the dust settled left in ruin thousands of banks, businesses reliant on those banks, and the people reliant on those businesses.

While this financial disaster, the Panic of 1857, unfolded across the nation, another tragedy exacerbated the economic failures and claimed hundreds of lives. On September 3, the SS Central America, a side-wheel steamer operated by the United States Mail Steamship Company, left the Panamanian port city of Colón with 101 crew members and 477 passengers headed to New York via Havana. On the 9th, the Central America encountered an Atlantic hurricane off the coast of North Carolina and tried to ride out the storm. Despite valiant efforts by Captain William Herndon and the passengers and crew to keep the ship from sinking, it was to no avail. On the 12th when two small vessels were spotted, Captain Herndon gave the order to abandon ship, deployed lifeboats and tried to rescue as many people as possible, with women and children first. That evening, the Central America slipped beneath the waves with Captain Herndon maintaining his position on the wheel box until the very end. Captain Herndon was celebrated across the nation for his bravery and heroism and his name lives on today in the form of memorials, ships, and the town of Herndon, Virginia.

Also on board the Central America was a staggering 15 tons of gold in the form of assayer ingots, gold dust, and coins worth $8 million at the time, or roughly half a billion dollars in today's accounting. The ship was lost over a particularly deep part of the Atlantic that made recovery an impossibility for generations. In the 1980s a group of treasure hunters and explorers believed they had located where the ship and its gold had come to rest on the ocean bottom. After years of exploration and searching with side-scan sonar and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the wreck was located in 1988, and over the next several years, several tons of gold assayer ingots, gold dust, and gold coins were recovered. Over the next several years the disposition of the treasure was litigated until it was determined that the discovery team was entitled to 92% of the recovered treasure.

Among the recovered items were approximately 5,400 freshly struck 1857-S double eagles. Typically, gold coins struck at the San Francisco Mint had entered the region's commercial channels and remained there. Before the recovery of the Central America coins, the best Type I double eagles struck at the San Francisco Mint would be in the AU range. Thanks to the recovery of this treasure ship and others, numismatists can now acquire not only a Mint State example, but even a Superb Gem such as this. The majority of the double eagles recovered from the SS Central America are at the Choice Mint State level of preservation. Above those grades the numbers thin out with Gems and Superb Gems much more difficult to find. Due to careful conservation under the eye of scientist and discoverer Bob Evans, the surfaces of these coins are often as sparkling as the day they left the San Francisco Mint. This especially PQ example in PCGS/CAC MS-67 will attract considerable attention from double eagle specialists, as well as enthusiasts of Gold Rush history and shipwreck lore.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

All winning lots will be shipped domestically via FEDEX, United States Postal Service, or DHL. Please note: A delivery confirmation shipment will be required for all orders. Delivery methods depend on the value of the shipment (for insurance purposes). All orders sent via Priority or Express require a signature confirmation. Please refer to the chart below to see how your winning lots will be shipped. Once your order has shipped, we will send you an email containing the order tracking information.

Total Value of Shipment Shipping Method
$1-$299 First Class
$300-$24,999 Priority or 2-Day
$25,000-$199,999 Express or Overnight
$200,000+ Contact us for Special Arrangements
Chart applies to U.S. addresses only -- items shipped to international addresses from the United States will be delivered via Fed Ex and items shipped from our Hong Office will be delivered via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover.

If you would like your order shipped domestically via FedEx, please contact our Client Services department at (800) 458-4646. Additional charges may apply.

• How much do you charge for shipping and handling?

Within the United States: All orders are shipped via USPS. All orders will have the following postage and insurance charges in addition to a $.50 handling charge per lot added to the purchase price:

Invoice Amount Postage & Insurance
Up to $299 $12.00
$300- $499 $17.00
$500- $999 $20.00
$1000- $2499 $24.00
$2500- $4999 $27.00
$5000- $9999 $30.00
$10000- $14999 $40.00
$15000- $19999 $45.00
$20000- $24999 $50.00
$25000- $49999 $75.00
$50000- $74999 $100.00
$75000- $99999 $125.00
$100000- $249999 $250.00
$250000+ $400.00


All international orders (including Canada and Mexico) shipped from the United States will be shipped via Fedex or UPS depending on the destination country. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. For shipments from our Hong Kong office via EMS, please refer to the Hong Kong Auction section.

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $2,500 $50.00
$2,501-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$100,000 $75.00
$100,001-$200,000 $125.00
$200,001+ $500 or Contact us for Special Arrangements


All orders shipped from the Hong Kong, China Office are shipped via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. The following countries have EMS coverage: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand. Our international shipping rates will apply to countries not covered by EMS. If you have special shipping requests from our Hong Kong, China Office, please contact [email protected].

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $300 $35.00
$301-$1,000 $40.00
$1,001-$2,000 $45.00
$2,001-$3,000 $50.00
$3,001-$5,000 $55.00
$5,001-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$25,000 $70.00
$25,001-$50,000 $80.00
$50,001-$75,000 $90.00
$75,001-$100,000 $100.00
$100,000-$200,000 $125.00
$200,000+ $500.00 or Contact us for Special Arrangements

by Stack's Bowers Galleries
June 16, 2026 12:00 PM PDT
1550 Scenic Ave
Suite 150
Costa Mesa, CA, US 92626

Stack's Bowers Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 27% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $20
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 $999,999 $50,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000