In early September 1846 the sidewheel Steamer SS New York sat docked in Galveston, Texas. She was the Titanic of her day, a luxury liner with polished mahogany woodwork and brass from stem to stern. After dark, her ornate hanging lamps shed their flickering light through her stained glass windows to illuminate her decks in dancing colors. She carried passengers from New York City via New Orleans to Galveston, the largest city in Texas. On this warm late summer day she was taking on stores and readying her boilers for the return trip to New York.

There is no record of any of her passengers or crew paying much attention to the storm clouds gathering in the direction of the Gulf—or those rolling ...

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In early September 1846 the sidewheel Steamer SS New York sat docked in Galveston, Texas. She was the Titanic of her day, a luxury liner with polished mahogany woodwork and brass from stem to stern. After dark, her ornate hanging lamps shed their flickering light through her stained glass windows to illuminate her decks in dancing colors. She carried passengers from New York City via New Orleans to Galveston, the largest city in Texas. On this warm late summer day she was taking on stores and readying her boilers for the return trip to New York.

There is no record of any of her passengers or crew paying much attention to the storm clouds gathering in the direction of the Gulf—or those rolling in from Mexico.

Galveston was bustling. The Mexican War was underway, and certainly the city was teaming with spies. Was sabotage in their plans? No one knows for sure, but the SS New York was a prize.

She set sail on September 6th, leaving the war behind. Or did she? The history of what happened next is scant. All we have is the official story. Soon after she set sail the winds picked up and the sea roiled. Then, her side split and water poured into the ship. Was it the storm, or saboteurs? No one will ever know.

The ship sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico where she rested, undisturbed, for 144 years.

When the wreck was discovered in 1990, divers found a small number of silver coins in her cabins. These coins were the “loose change” that was on the ship when she perished. Amazingly, they survived their long sojourn on the sea floor.

Among the coins found are two varieties of U.S. Mint silver half dollars, the Capped Bust and Seated Liberty halves. We can now offer these historic artifacts to modern collectors.

Each coin is certified a genuine survivor from SS New York by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC). NGC also includes a special label identifying your coin as one from the New York.

Your Capped Bust Half dates between 1813 and 1838, and your Seated Liberty Half is from 1841 to 1846 (dates vary). This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Capture your piece of Mexican War history today!