9. Central America Ship
Current Estimated Value: $765 million* Date of Disappearance: 1857
Discovered in 1988
Because 30,000 pounds of gold were lost when the SS Central America drowned in a hurricane in 1857, it was dubbed the “Ship of Gold.” This added to the nationwide financial panic that hit the US that year. Although the sidewheel steamer’s cargo was valued at almost $765 million, its actual value was $4.07 million.
The SS Central America on Pinterest and @blanchardgold.com
A search and recovery team descended in 1988 and found the lost gold, estimated to be worth $150 million. An eighty-pound ingot that was sold for $8 million made it the most valuable coin in the world at the time. This specific piece attracted everyone’s attention.
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