While watching Vaultbox 5 unboxings, I found the SS Republic shipwreck 1850's half dollar ones to be neat. How much do 'budget' ones go for (I care nothing about the dates, minutiae, etc), and what's the best fixed-price venues to get one? I guess it's the shipwreck aspect, as I normally wouldn't have cared about that type. What are some similar wrecks?
Way to many shipwrecks with salvaged coins to think about, let alone discuss. I have a shipwreck coin from 3 or 4 different shipwrecks. All are certified. It really depends on which shipwreck coins are for sale. Some go for around $50.00 and others are into the high hundreds or more. The price depends on how many coins they have found and the TPG costs.
What about the most abundant shipwrecks? I have no clue about fixed-price American dealers, so I don't know where to look.
I'd like something along the lines of those 1850's half dollars, like the Vault Box 5's had. This type at 2:34
I don’t know anything about them. The shipwreck coins I have were purchased through a reputable dealer. Shipwreck coins are usually but not always, foreign.
My father had only one old foreign coin in his "collection". I doubt it isn't very (if any) valuable today. It was listed as a coin from the wreck of the Admiral Gardner ship, carrying a coin from the East India Company that wrecked January 25, 1809. It was recovered (with all other things plus the coins) in 1985.) It's in one of the many coin boxes that I have. I must have about 30 boxes. I have a spreadsheet of the coins in each box and all of them include of the list of the coins in the boxes and the number of the box stacked together in a building I used for my theater, coins and my 8 year old attack cat. He hates people to come in his domain, but he likes to sit on my lap while I work at my computer. Anyway, any of you have the history of the ship and what it was carrying? Thanks!
The cheapest one I found was just under $200 but in todays market the price for a half way decent one is around $350.00
If that 1855-O pictured above was a straight graded example in a low MS grade, it would be around $1200 range. So for the the condition most of the Republic coins come in (some look uncirculated and some are bad), they are the bargain deal. Granted, the "shipwreck affect" grade from the longterm saltwater exposure and whatever else, means it's technially an AU details, non-grade. But being attributed from the shipwreck brings the values back up. I believe their values to be loosely based on condition vs. each other. Some I've seen people want well into four figures. Sometimes they're a bargain. Sometimes one side looks like new and the other side is heavily corroded. Some survived much better than others. They're usually priced between $300 to $1k for your typical half dollar example. The story of the wreck is very interesting. I have read the book but as of now don't yet own any from the wreck. I have considered them on many occasions. The ship was hauling coinage from New York to New Orleans immediately following the end of the Civil war and went down Oct. 25th, 1865 in a hurricane roughly 100 miles off the coast of GA. So any coins dated close to that from the wreck were barely circulated. Especially considering most people were hoarding gold and silver coins during the war. Another common shipwreck hoard is from the El Cazador. These were graded with special labels from NGC as well, being different denomination Reales if you like those.
Thanks very much! Are said shipwreck half dollars also available from fixed price dealers? But to be honest, if it weren't from a shipwreck, I wouldn't be so interested in that issue. This puppy's likely a shipwreck find, complete with 'zombie' Tiberius. "TIBERIUS & DIVUS AUGUSTUS AR tetradrachm. Alexandria, Egypt. TIBEPIOY KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate head right. Reverse - QEOS SEBASTOS, radiate head of Divus Augustus right. Milne 38, Koln 48. 24mm, 8.3g. Likely a sea-find, this coin is lighter than its contemporaries due to leaching of the baser metals. "
