S.S. NEW YORK 1846 SHIPWRECK SALVAGED COIN
1842-O FIVE DOLLAR GOLD HALF-EAGLE LIBERTY "CORONET HEAD"
CERTIFIED BY NGC MINT STATE 61
OBV: LIBERTY HEAD LEFT WITH CORONET HEAD BAND INSCRIBED WITH WORD "LIBERTY", ENCIRCLED BY 13 SIX-POINTED SEGMENTED STARS; DATE BELOW.
REV: AMERICAN BALD EAGLE ARMS WITH AMERICAN HERALDIC SHIELD ON BREAST AND CLUTCHING ARROWS AND OLIVE BRANCHES IN TALONS; DENOMINATION BELOW.
KM # 69
THE S.S. NEW YORK WAS A SIDE-WHEEL STEAMSHIP THAT, DURING THE 1840'S, TRANSPORTED CARGO SUCH AS BUFFALO HIDES, PROVISIONS AND COTTON, AS WELL AS PASSENGERS, FROM GALVESTON, TEXAS TO NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. TEXAS HAD BEEN ANNEXED BY THE UNITED STATES IN 1845, AND THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR BEGAN IN APRIL OF 1846. IN SUPPORT OF THE WAR, THE SHIP HAD BEEN OCCASIONALLY CHARTERED TO TRANSPORT U.S. TROOPS SOUTH TO SOUTHERN TEXAS.
THE S.S. NEW YORK WAS A LUXURY SHIP SIDE-WHEEL WOODEN STEAMSHIP, 160 FEET IN LENGTH, WITH PASSENGER AMENITIES SUCH AS WHITE DAMASK SATIN CURTAINS, WALLS OF POLISHED MAHOGANY, CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS, AND ENGRAVED SILVER, FINE CRYSTAL AND WHITE PORCELAIN TABLEWARE.
ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1846, THE S.S. NEW YORK SET SAIL FROM GALVESTON, CARRYING 53 PASSENGERS AND AROUND $40,000 IN GOLD AND SILVER COINAGE (WHICH TODAY WOULD BE VALUED IN THE MILLIONS). CAPTAIN JOHN D. PHILIPS TOOK THE SHIP OUT INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO OVER INCREASINGLY ROUGH SEAS AND WINDS. FIFTY MILES OUT, THE SHIP FOUND ITSELF IN THE MIDST OF A LARGE HURRICANE. THE ANCHOR WAS DROPPED TO RIDE OUT THE STORM, BUT AT 2 A.M. ON SEPTEMBER 7, THE WINDS HAD CHANGED AND TURNED THE SHIP ABOUT. THE UNFORGIVING AND GIGANTIC WAVES BATTERED THE SHIP AS IT MANEUVERED AIMLESSLY TO TURN INTO THE WIND AGAIN. AT AROUND 4 A.M., THE WHEELHOUSE AND SMOKESTACK WERE TORN OFF AND THE ENGINES STALLED AS WATER STREAMED IN FROM A SPLIT IN THE HULL'S SIDE. THE CREW AND PASSENGERS WORKED FRANTICALLY TO BAIL OUT THE WATER FROM THE HOLD AS THE SHIP LISTED, BUT THE WATER OVERTOOK THE STEAM BOILERS AND PUT OUT THE FIRES. THE SHIP WAS ABANDONED, ITS BELL RINGING ONLY ONCE, BEFORE THE ONCE PROUD VESSEL ROLLED BENEATH THE WAVES AND SANK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GULF. 17 PEOPLE HAD BEEN LOST TO THE SEA, THE REST WERE RESCUED BY THE S.S. GALVESTON. THE CARGO OF GOLD AND SILVER COINS WENT TO THE BOTTOM OF DAVEY JONES' LOCKER.
DWARFED BY THE HEADLINES OF THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR, THE WRECK WAS OVERLOOKED BY SALVGERS UNTIL 144 YEARS AFTER THE INCIDENT.
THE WRECK WAS FOUND BY AN AMATEUR DIVER AND OIL FIELD WORKER FROM LOUISIANA WHO READ ABOUT THE SINKING OF THE S.S. NEW YORK IN AN OLD NEWSPAPER ARTICLE. THROUGH THE USE OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, RESEARCH OF MAPS, AND INTERVIEWS WITH SHRIMP FISHERMEN, HE FOUND A SPOT THAT WAS NOTED FOR SNAGGING NETS AND DISCOVERED THE SMOKESTACK, PADDLEWHEEL AND HUGE BOILERS OF THE LOST SHIP. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND MANY YEARS OF EXAMINING THE SITE, THE COINS REMINED ELUSIVE. IN 2007, A SALVAGE TEAM OBTAINED COURT RIGHTS TO THE WRECK AND ANY TREASURE THAT MIGHT BE DISCOVERED, AND THE ENSUING OPERATIONS RECOVERED THE PRECIOUS, LONG-LOST CARGO.
CONTAINS 8.359 GRAMS OF .900 FINE GOLD (.2419 OZ AGW)
22 MM IN DIAMETER
NEW ORLEANS MINT
364,600 MINTED
DESIGNED BY CHRISTIAN GOBRECHT (THIRD CHIEF ENGRAVER OF THE U.S. MINT 1835-1844)
