Shipwreck and Treasure of the S.S. Republic
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 Shipwreck Survivors on Raft |
Although it is not known exactly how many passengers and crew were onboard the SS Republic, but more than a few are known to have perished.
There weren’t enough lifeboats to hold everyone on the ship so the Captain ordered a makeshift raft to be built. Up to 18 men clung for their lives to the raft over the next 8 days. When the raft was finally discovered by a passing ship, only 2 men remained on the raft. The others had all perished.
According to an account of the events in Vesilind’s Lost Gold of the Republic, two men perished when they became entangled in the debris field after the ship went down. Described as an "elderly sea captain" and "a German sailor," the lifeboats and raft were never able to reach them.
However, Colonel Nichols and his brother Henry were two of at least 80 passengers and crew to survive the wreck and be rescued. Much of what is known about the events of the SS Republic’s final voyage came from letters that Colonel Nichols wrote to his wife. He would eventually go on to become a successful Chicago businessman and the founder of a town named Maywood after his daughter May who had died.
 Odyssey Marine Exploration Underwater Robot |
The Discovery
On July 7, 2003, Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered what would later be identified as the SS Republic. It would be another two months before the discovery of the ship’s bell confirmed the identity of the shipwreck as that of the SS Republic. The ship’s bell had never been changed and the original name from 1853 was still upon it – SS Tennessee.
In January 2006, the ship’s bell still lie submerged, but this time not at the bottom of the ocean. The bell was being stored at Odyssey’s conservation lab in Tampa. After having been featured in National Geographic magazine and having the moments of its discovery played out on television, it seemed a little strange to find such an important artifact lying in a very non-descript warehouse, shoved against a wall, and submerged in a Rubbermaid garbage can.
Just a couple of feet away cannon from another shipwreck lay submerged in an open pool of water, a couple of wires coming from the cannon and attached to what looked like a large battery. This was clearly the unglamorous side of archaeology.
 SS Republic Gold Coin |
The Treasure
By the time Odyssey Marine Exploration had finished excavating the site of the SS Republic shipwreck, over 47,000 silver coins, mostly of the seated liberty design, had been recovered. In addition, some 1,460 $10 gold eagles dating from 1838, and 2,675 $20 gold double eagles dating from 1850 were recovered. The entire shipwreck treasure was estimated to be worth over $75 million.
Although the shipwreck of the SS Central America had about twice as many $20 gold double eagles recovered as did the SS Republic, the double eagles from the latter were remarkable in the fact that every date and mint mark up to that time were represented with the exception of one – the ultra rare 1856-O. In the case of the SS Central America, the overwhelming majority were 1856-S and 1857-S coins. For the first time, it was possible to put together a complete set of Type-1 (1850-1866) No Motto $20 gold double eagles, with the exception of the 1856-O, from a single shipwreck.