Collection Highlights
New York City Hall, front elevation
Date:
1802
Object Number:
PR.040.1
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Museum Collections
Luce Center
Coin (twenty dollars)
Object Number:
2001.51
Date:
1857
Medium:
Gold
Dimensions:
Case: 3 3/8 x 2 1/2 in. ( 8.6 x 6.4 cm )
Diameter (coin): 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm)
Marks:
stamped: on obverse: "LIBERTY" and "1857"
stamped: on reverse: "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA/S/TWENTY D."
Description:
Gold twenty dollar coin ("double eagle") with bust of Liberty and 13 stars on obverse and United States shield on reverse.
Gallery Label:
This coin was originally part of the cargo of the S.S. Central America, a sidewheel steamer carrying precious San Francisco gold bullion to New York City in September, 1857. A ferocious storm swamped the ship, and she sank to the ocean floor with $1.6 million of precious metal. The news of the sinking, in which 425 people died, encouraged the financial panic of 1857. The wreck was discovered in 1981, and a painstaking recovery expedition brought the still pristine gold to the surface.
Credit Line:
Gift of the California Gold Marketing Group and Dwight Manley
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
