Recovered from the wreck of the SS Republic, these three "Arrows around Date" Liberty Seated Half Dollars represent one of the most compelling shipwreck coin collections in American numismatics. The sidewheel steamship SS Republic sank on October 25, 1865, lost to a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean about 100 miles east of Savannah, Georgia. Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered the wreck in 2003, and coins were recovered individually by remotely operated vehicle from a depth of approximately 1,700 feet. The ship was carrying a cargo of gold and silver coins bound for New Orleans, and the denominations recovered include some of the most historically significant mid-19th century American types.

Each coin in this set carries the Arrows type Liberty Seated design, struck during a brief transitional period following the Coinage Act of 1853. The obverse presents a seated Liberty figure holding a pole topped with a Liberty cap, resting against a shield inscribed LIBERTY, with thirteen stars encircling the field and the date flanked by arrows below. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above and HALF DOL. below. The arrows at the date signify the weight reduction mandated by the 1853 act, and they were removed from the design after just three years, making this a short-lived and historically distinct type.

NGC certified all three pieces with the Shipwreck Effect designation, reflecting the distinctive surface character acquired from more than 138 years in their original sealed keg on the ocean floor. The set includes an 1854 Philadelphia Mint half dollar, an 1854-O struck at New Orleans, and an 1855-O also from the New Orleans Mint. All three dates fall squarely within the brief Arrows type window, and the New Orleans mint mark issues are particularly well-suited to a Republic shipwreck set given the ship's intended destination. Each coin comes in its individual NGC holder. The presentation set is housed in the original Odyssey Marine Exploration mahogany display case with a decorative ivory oval panel depicting the SS Republic, the custom tray, and individual Certificates of Authenticity for all three coins. For those seeking an authenticated, three-coin SS Republic half dollar presentation, this set delivers the full Odyssey package. The set pictured is the exact set you will receive.

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