Numismatic

1849 $10 Liberty Gold Eagle AU-53 NGC (SS Republic)

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This ten-dollar gold coin, minted in 1849, carries a remarkable physical connection to maritime history. It was recovered from the deep-sea shipwreck of the SS Republic, a steamship that sank during a hurricane in 1865. Having rested on the ocean floor for over a century, this historic piece of American currency survived the disaster and the elements to be salvaged and documented for study. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this Liberty Eagle coin features no mint mark, which was the standard practice for the facility at the time. The obverse displays the classic portrait of Liberty, while the reverse features a heraldic eagle surrounded by the inscriptions "STATES OF" and the denomination "TEN D." Containing 0.4838 troy ounces of gold with a purity of 0.900, this coin has been certified in Almost Uncirculated 53 (AU-53) condition. The preservation of its details, despite decades beneath the waves, makes it a fascinating specimen for anyone interested in the intersection of mid-nineteenth-century American coinage and historic shipwrecks.