Article: Finest Known 1855 Sydney Sovereign And The S.s. Central America

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,631
MeadowviewCollector Pillar of the Community United States 4409 Posts	Posted 07/08/2018 4:46 pm I've not visited this section in a really long time; this Numismatic News article discussing the discovery of an 1855 Sydney Sovereign aboard the S.S. Central America caught my attention. PCGS graded it MS-62+ An 1856 Sydney Sovereign was also found in this wreckage. http://www.numismaticnews.net/artic...fa-nl-180706 Enjoy. -MV Report this Post to the Staff

sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21786 Posts	Posted 07/08/2018 8:16 pm Noble Numismatics (my LCS), would certainly know about the full history of this piece. They have auctioned quite a few 1855 superior grade Sydney Mint Sovereigns over the years as well as pattern gold of this era, of the early products of the Sydney Mint. Report this Post to the Staff
basebal21 Bedrock of the Community 13014 Posts	Posted 07/08/2018 8:27 pm Quote: Noble Numismatics (my LCS), would certainly know about the full history of this piece. It's been sitting at the bottom of the ocean for almost 200 years. I doubt anyone knows the full history of it. The articles guess is very likely going to be the best we're going to get given when it went down. Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21786 Posts	Posted 07/08/2018 10:09 pm Less than 200 years. 159 years between the sinking and recovery of the coin, in fact. The premises of Noble Numisamtics and National Trust historic building of the old Sydney Mint Building are nearly opposite each other, in Macquarie Street, Sydney. I have spent quite a bit of time in both. 1855 was the first year of production of the Sydney Mint. Sovereigns were struck as bullion coins to pay for imported goods into the British Colony of New South Wales. Half Sovereigns were mainly for domestic circulation, and were minted in around 10% of the numbers of the full Sovereign. Because Noble Numismatics is a World recognized specialist in the public auction of high end Australian gold, it is in their essential interests to establish as complete a provenance as possible for a coin such as this 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign in MS62+ grade, and include that in an auction lot description. It would matter not where this coin came up for sale, but Noble Numismatics would keep a world wide sales record of a coin such as this one. Why would this coin be found in the wreckage of SS Central America? The Colony of New South Wales had a gold rush not long after the California gold rush of 1849. A large number of unsuccessful California miners decided to try their luck in New South Wales. It is very probable that the coin that is the subject here, was taken back to the West coast of America, and found it's way into the treasure cargo of the doomed ship. Report this Post to the Staff
basebal21 Bedrock of the Community 13014 Posts	Posted 07/08/2018 11:07 pm Quote: Because Noble Numismatics is a World recognized specialist in the public auction of high end Australian gold, it is in their essential interests to establish as complete a provenance as possible for a coin such as this 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign in MS62+ grade, and include that in an auction lot description. It would matter not where this coin came up for sale, but Noble Numismatics would keep a world wide sales record of a coin such as this one. Of course they'll track it as will other places and people ect creating a record for whatever happens now. The point was between when it was found and now there is no record. It could have been someone from the gold rush, it could have been a collector given that there were several other world coin countries there, it could have been random, it could have been payment, it could have been someone traveling ect ect ect. Short of some miracle documentation that happened to survive under water we're never going to know how it got on the ship or why it was there other than it wasn't someones pocket change. It's very unlikely that anyone knows anything about the history of this piece other than it was in a ship wreck given that no one knew to expect to find it there Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21786 Posts	Posted 07/09/2018 02:47 am As for no sale record, you may well be right. I will have a talk with Jim Noble next time I see him. He would certainly know of the link that has been posted, as a starting point to investigate provenance from recovery records, and sale record since 2014, if any exists. As for info contributing to provenance in particular, there were no collectors of what was then a current coin 1855 (when it was minted), until 1857 (when the ship was lost). Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,631

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