1861-O Liberty Seated Silver Half Dollar, SS Republic Shipwreck

Classic U.S. silver coins and the mystique of sunken treasure – they’re the dreams of collectors everywhere. Now, you can own a historic silver half dollar struck during the tumultuous first year of the Civil War, and later recovered from the wreck of the SS Republic.

In 1861, President Lincoln took office as southern states, including Louisiana, were seceding from the Union. And these 1861-O Liberty Seated halves were struck at the New Orleans Mint which served the U.S., then the state of Louisiana, and finally the Confederacy, all within that same year.

In 1865 after the Civil War ended, a violent hurricane caused the SS Republic to sink off the coast of Georgia. Along with the ship went its precious cargo including an estimated $400,000 in gold and silver coins. Among them were these historic Liberty Seated 1861-O half dollars struck in 90% silver at the New Orleans Mint.

After the 2003 discovery of the shipwreck and its treasures, these 1861-O silver halves are now available for collectors. They’ve been examined by our experts and certified by NGC with the conserved “Shipwreck Effect” designation. We only have 48 of these coins from the first year of the Civil War, so don’t miss this chance to add a true piece of history to your collection!