Cook Islands – 2013 – 1 dollar – SS Republic (PROOF)

Description

Metal: Gold .9999
Weight: 0.5 g
Diameter: 11 mm
Quality: Proof
Mintage: 15’000 pcs

The SS Republic was a side-wheel steamship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean while carrying a large cargo of silver and gold coins and a stunning variety of everyday supplies essential to life in mid-19th century America.

En route from New York to New Orleans with passengers and commercial cargo, the SS Republic was lost in a violent hurricane on October 25th, 1865. The passengers and crew escaped from the sinking ship, yet a fortune in coins sank to the bottom of the Atlantic seabed 1’700 feet (518 meters) deep.

Nearly 140 years later, Odyssey discovered the shipwreck of the SS Republic approximately 100 miles off the coast of Georgia. The archaeological excavation conducted during 2003/04 was accomplished entirely through the use of advanced robotics and cutting-edge technologies and was the first of its kind ever performed at such depths. Over 51’000 U.S. gold and silver coins were recovered from the Republic wreck site, as well as over 14’000 artifacts.