1862-S Double Eagle (1862-S $20) NGC AU58 CAC. Ex-SS Republic (blue tag & box). 1862-S $20 Liberty Head, Without Motto on Reverse, SS Republic (blue tag), Double Eagle. The SS Republic, formerly named the SS Tennessee, was a side-wheel steamer that had been placed into service in 1853.

During the Civil War she had sailed under the flags of both the Confederate and Union navies. At wars end, under her new name, she had left New York laden with cargo and coins desperately needed to aid in the post-war reconstruction efforts. Bound for New Orleans, she would become caught in a ferocious hurricane and on October 25, 1865 she sank to the depths off the coast of Georgia. Her cargo, including this beautiful gold double eagle went to the bottom with her.

138 years later the SS Republic was located and by 2005 her fabulous treasure, including this piece, had been recovered much to the delight of numismatists, investors, and historians around the globe. A wondrous cache of silver and gold coins were brought to market and have been exceptionally popular since. Fortunately, the conditions in the deep ocean water while abrasive to the silver coins resting there, did not damage the gold coins. Therefore, remarkably, this flashy double eagle was recovered in the same condition as when it was lost just months after the Civil War concluded.

The piece offered here is the very epitome of what the term super slider represents. Pristine in every way, this stunning gold double eagle has the eye appeal of a specimen grading many points higher. Fabulous strike, abundant luster, rich honey gold color.this coin has it all! This is a PQ specimen for the grade and it has been reviewed and approved by CAC as well attesting to this fact. (As a side note, the example in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution is graded just AU-53.) One fortunate collector/investor now has the opportunity to add a super premium example of this conditionally rare Civil War issue which has the added pedigree of being part of a shipwreck treasure to his/her numismatic portfolio.