1857-S $20 Gold Coins
The 1857-S $20 gold coin is widely known as the key date of the SS Central America shipwreck. The 1857-S $20 Liberty recovered from the “The Ship of Gold” are among the most desirable coins in the entire marketplace.
In 1857, the San Francisco Mint produced 970,000 1857-S gold Double Eagles, the majority of which have been lost or destroyed. When the ship sank in September 1857, there were over 5,000 specimens of the 1857-S $20 Liberty on board, and around 95% of the recovered shipwreck coins were 1857-S. The 1857-S $20 Gold Liberty with the SS Central America pedigree is featured in Whitman Publishing’s widely acclaimed best-seller, “The 100 Greatest US Coins.”
Whether an 1857-S is from the SSCA shipwreck or not, is of little consequence, as this issue is always popular with collectors, investors, and those who have a love for history. This makes the 1857-S double eagle one of the most available and highly desirable double eagles in the Type-I series, ensuring demand for years to come.