SS Central America 1.5-gm Gold Nuggets PCGS-Certified w/Bob Evans Signature

Authentic California Gold Rush Nuggets Recovered From Historic “Ship of Gold”

On September 12, 1857, the SS Central America sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean 160 miles offshore from Charleston, South Carolina. The vessel was known as the “Ship of Gold.” And for good reason!

A Civil War-Era Treasure Ship Lost For More Than A Century

The Central America earned her nickname not for her splendor or decorations, but from her famous cargo: tons of gold coins, as well as raw nuggets from the California Gold Rush. When she went down, the Central America took with her an amount of gold that would be valued today at $300 million! The loss of the gold cargo was a major factor in the financial Panic of 1857. The cargo wouldn’t begin to be recovered for 131 years when in 1988, more than 7,000 gold coins were retrieved from the wreck, making it a household name among collectors. But it would be another 25 years until the greatest discovery among the wreckage of the Central America would be located and recovered using an unmanned submersible.

Located 8,000 feet down, a recovery crew located something incredible: the ship’s safe, still closed! The rusty hinges gave way, and inside was a leather saddlebag, still tightly wrapped in leather straps as it had been when it was placed there in 1857. Inside were a number of small pouches, or “pokes” containing hundreds of gold nuggets that had come straight from the California Gold Rush! After 167 years, that gold is now ready for a new home—yours!

Actual Gold Nuggets From The California Gold Fields

These Gold Rush Nuggets represent what may be the most direct connection with the California Gold Rush ever found. Discovered in a saddlebag stashed away in the purser’s safe of the Central America, these nuggets were on their way from California to the East Coast. We may never see their like again! Each assortment of nuggets available here is guaranteed be 1.5 grams of American California Gold Rush gold! Plus, each comes certified authentic by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and have been encapsulated in an acrylic holder with a pedigreed label that has been personally signed by Bob Evens, the chief scientist and co-discoverer for the SS Central America Project. Just 933 of these 1.5-gram offerings are being made available. Secure your historic gold nuggets now!