Description
A Legendary Piece of Maritime History from the Mount Everest of Shipwrecks
This listing offers an extremely rare and historically significant piece of American maritime history. It is a United States One Dollar Silver Certificate salvaged from the wreck of the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria.
While the Andrea Doria was an Italian ship, its onboard Banco di Roma safe contained thousands of United States dollars, which were recovered decades later. This note has been professionally authenticated and encapsulated by the Professional Coin Grading Service, or PCGS, as Genuine with Shipwreck Effect designation, confirming its remarkable origin from the legendary 1956 sinking.
The note is housed in a beautiful custom glass display holder and includes the original certificate of authenticity, historical paperwork, and presentation box, making it perfect for collectors of shipwreck currency, United States paper money, or maritime memorabilia.
Historical Significance: The SS Andrea Doria
The SS Andrea Doria was an icon of Italian national pride, a luxury ocean liner that was Italy's largest, fastest, and supposedly safest ship following World War II. On the night of July 25, 1956, while approaching the coast of Nantucket bound for New York City, it collided with the MS Stockholm of the Swedish American Line in heavy fog. The Stockholm's icebreaking bow pierced the Andrea Doria's starboard side, ripping open seven of its eleven decks.
The ship immediately began to list severely, rendering half of its lifeboats unusable. Thanks to rapid communications and heroic rescue efforts by nearby ships, including the Ile de France, over 1,660 passengers and crew were saved. However, 46 people died in the collision, and the ship capsized and sank the following morning on July 26, 1956.
It remains the worst maritime disaster in United States waters since the sinking of the SS Eastland in 1915 and is widely referred to as the Mount Everest of Shipwrecks due to the technical skill required to dive to its resting place, 250 feet below the Atlantic.
The Treasure Recovery: The Banco di Roma Safe
On August 27, 1981, during Hurricane Dennis, marine explorer and department store heir Peter Gimbel and his team located and recovered the Banco di Roma safe from the wreck. The 650-pound safe had been submerged for 25 years. When it was finally opened during a live television broadcast three years later on August 3, 1984, it revealed stacks of United States One Dollar Silver Certificates and Italian bank notes in various denominations.
In 2006, PCGS Currency made the first public inventory of the remaining 3,606 notes. The inventory confirmed 2,726 United States One Dollar Silver Certificates from the wreck, among which were 99 star notes.
Design and Condition
This note is a 1935 Series One Dollar Silver Certificate, a classic design featuring the portrait of George Washington on the obverse and the Great Seal of the United States on the reverse. The bill shows authentic seawater exposure, including toning, minor stiffness, and edge irregularities consistent with decades underwater. These are not defects but desired characteristics of a genuine shipwreck salvage. No artificial restoration has been performed. This example is certified as PCGS Shipwreck Effect, a designation given to currency that exhibits unique environmental effects from long-term submersion.
Product Specifications
Ship: SS Andrea Doria, sank July 25-26, 1956 off Nantucket, Massachusetts
Country: United States
Denomination: 1 Dollar
Type: Silver Certificate
Series: 1935
Certification: PCGS Genuine with Shipwreck Effect designation
Included: Glass display holder, certificate of authenticity and documentation, original collector's box
Why This Note Deserves a Place in Your Collection
This is a piece of history from a historic event, the final major transatlantic passenger ship to sink before aviation dominated travel. It carries certified authenticity, having been encapsulated and verified by PCGS Currency with the Genuine Shipwreck Effect designation. United States currency recovered from the Andrea Doria is exceptionally scarce compared to Italian notes, making this a rare and desirable acquisition. It is offered as a complete collector's set, including the authenticated note, custom display holder, original documentation, and collector's box. Most of all, it is a tangible connection to one of the most famous maritime disasters of the twentieth century and the remarkable recovery that brought this currency back to the surface after 25 years beneath the sea.
This note is more than currency. It is a piece
This listing offers an extremely rare and historically significant piece of American maritime history. It is a United States One Dollar Silver Certificate salvaged from the wreck of the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria.
While the Andrea Doria was an Italian ship, its onboard Banco di Roma safe contained thousands of United States dollars, which were recovered decades later. This note has been professionally authenticated and encapsulated by the Professional Coin Grading Service, or PCGS, as Genuine with Shipwreck Effect designation, confirming its remarkable origin from the legendary 1956 sinking.
The note is housed in a beautiful custom glass display holder and includes the original certificate of authenticity, historical paperwork, and presentation box, making it perfect for collectors of shipwreck currency, United States paper money, or maritime memorabilia.
Historical Significance: The SS Andrea Doria
The SS Andrea Doria was an icon of Italian national pride, a luxury ocean liner that was Italy's largest, fastest, and supposedly safest ship following World War II. On the night of July 25, 1956, while approaching the coast of Nantucket bound for New York City, it collided with the MS Stockholm of the Swedish American Line in heavy fog. The Stockholm's icebreaking bow pierced the Andrea Doria's starboard side, ripping open seven of its eleven decks.
The ship immediately began to list severely, rendering half of its lifeboats unusable. Thanks to rapid communications and heroic rescue efforts by nearby ships, including the Ile de France, over 1,660 passengers and crew were saved. However, 46 people died in the collision, and the ship capsized and sank the following morning on July 26, 1956.
It remains the worst maritime disaster in United States waters since the sinking of the SS Eastland in 1915 and is widely referred to as the Mount Everest of Shipwrecks due to the technical skill required to dive to its resting place, 250 feet below the Atlantic.
The Treasure Recovery: The Banco di Roma Safe
On August 27, 1981, during Hurricane Dennis, marine explorer and department store heir Peter Gimbel and his team located and recovered the Banco di Roma safe from the wreck. The 650-pound safe had been submerged for 25 years. When it was finally opened during a live television broadcast three years later on August 3, 1984, it revealed stacks of United States One Dollar Silver Certificates and Italian bank notes in various denominations.
In 2006, PCGS Currency made the first public inventory of the remaining 3,606 notes. The inventory confirmed 2,726 United States One Dollar Silver Certificates from the wreck, among which were 99 star notes.
Design and Condition
This note is a 1935 Series One Dollar Silver Certificate, a classic design featuring the portrait of George Washington on the obverse and the Great Seal of the United States on the reverse. The bill shows authentic seawater exposure, including toning, minor stiffness, and edge irregularities consistent with decades underwater. These are not defects but desired characteristics of a genuine shipwreck salvage. No artificial restoration has been performed. This example is certified as PCGS Shipwreck Effect, a designation given to currency that exhibits unique environmental effects from long-term submersion.
Product Specifications
Ship: SS Andrea Doria, sank July 25-26, 1956 off Nantucket, Massachusetts
Country: United States
Denomination: 1 Dollar
Type: Silver Certificate
Series: 1935
Certification: PCGS Genuine with Shipwreck Effect designation
Included: Glass display holder, certificate of authenticity and documentation, original collector's box
Why This Note Deserves a Place in Your Collection
This is a piece of history from a historic event, the final major transatlantic passenger ship to sink before aviation dominated travel. It carries certified authenticity, having been encapsulated and verified by PCGS Currency with the Genuine Shipwreck Effect designation. United States currency recovered from the Andrea Doria is exceptionally scarce compared to Italian notes, making this a rare and desirable acquisition. It is offered as a complete collector's set, including the authenticated note, custom display holder, original documentation, and collector's box. Most of all, it is a tangible connection to one of the most famous maritime disasters of the twentieth century and the remarkable recovery that brought this currency back to the surface after 25 years beneath the sea.
This note is more than currency. It is a piece
- Low Estimate: 1000.00
- High Estimate: 1500.00
Buyer's Premium
25%
Andrea Doria $1 - Shipwreck PCGS Cert
Estimate $1,000-$1,500
Starting Price
$100
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