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Sealed Roll 15 Coins 1/4 Ounce Silver Britannia silver from SS Gairsoppa
$ 396
- Description
- Size Guide
Description
This listing is for a brand new sealed roll with 15 silver coins. Brittania silver coins recovered from the Gairsoppa.Paypal verified buyers only, and only shipped to confirmed address. Shipments might be combined if you buy multiple items If payment is not received in 3 days after purchase, the transaction will be cancelled
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The History behind the coin:
The 2013 S.S. Gairsoppa Silver Britannia Coins were the first in the Royal Mint’s S.S. Gairsoppa Silver Britannia series. Each coin has been carefully struck from actual silver recovered from the infamous S.S. Gairsoppa Shipwreck. The original 1,000 oz silver ingots recovered from the shipwreck have been refined by the Royal Mint and turned into these .999 pure 1/4 oz silver coins.
Coin Highlights:
Contains 1/4 oz of .999 pure silver.
Minted by the Royal Mint in Great Britain.
Part of the S.S. Gairsoppa series.
The image of Britannia has been associated with the British Isles since she was first minted on a coin in the first century AD during the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian. Today, Britannia continues to be celebrated as a symbol of Britain’s illustrious history and might.
Each 2013 1/4 oz S.S. Gairsoppa Silver Britannia struck from S.S. Gairsoppa silver is in brand new condition and is stamped with its year, 2013. Each coin has been minted with 1/4 oz .999 pure silver. Owning this beautiful coin that is stamped with “S.S. Gairsoppa” along its outer edge is, indeed, like owning a genuine piece of British history. The obverse side of every coin showcases a profile view of Elizabeth II. The reverse, of course, reflects the beautiful image of Britannia as she stands along Britain’s shores with her helmet, trident, and shield.
The Royal British Mint has long been known for its high-quality minting and stunning designs. By transforming shipwreck silver into investment-worthy coins, the mint continues to cement its reputation for innovation and outstanding artistry. JM Bullion will ship these 2013 1/4 oz S.S. Gairsoppa Silver Britannia in their original case or in tubes depending on the number of coins you order.
Over 70 years ago, during WWII, British silver stocks were being depleted by the war. The Royal Mint ordered silver supplies from India. Large amounts of silver bullion ingots were sent via the merchant ship, the
S.S. Gairsoppa
, along with pig iron and tea.
It originally sailed under the protection of the British navy. Heavy swells and high winds forced the Gairsoppa to slow down. As the bad weather increased, the captain determined the struggling ship didn’t have sufficient coal to make it to Liverpool, so it broke off from the convoy and headed for Galway, Ireland.
On February 17, 1941, about 300 miles southwest of Ireland, a German U-boat fired a torpedo at the ship. The weapon tore through the Gairsoppa’s hull and exploded. The forward mast toppled, snapping the antenna, and isolating the ship from outside help. The U-boat continued to fire on the Gairsoppa until it sank, resting some 2.9 miles below on the ocean floor (below the depth of the Titanic).
The British government invited salvage companies to recover the lost silver in 1989. It wasn’t until January of 2010 that the US Company, Odyssey Marine Exploration, was awarded a two-year contract to locate and retrieve the 240 tons of silver.
The chief executive of Odyssey, Greg Stemm, noted that this is the deepest and heaviest cargo of precious metal ever retrieved from a shipwreck. He also said that these old bars no longer exhibit the shimmering patina usually seen with fresh silver. “It’s been under water so long, it could be mistaken for iron,” he explained.
Investing its own money to find the ship, Odyssey will split the profits with the British government, retaining 80 percent of the value of the silver it recovers. The British government will receive 20 percent.
As of 2013 the Odyssey had recovered a total of 1,203 silver bars. That amount equals 1.4 million troy ounces of silver (48 tons), which, according to today’s rates, would fetch about million.
At the time Gairsoppa was sunk, the value of the silver was in excess of .8 million. As of 2014, the total worth of the silver is estimated to be 0 million.
Because of the great success Odyssey had using robot technology to retrieve the lost silver, the company has expressed elation at the possibility of retrieving precious metals from other shipwrecks. “There are billions of dollar’s worth of cargoes that have been considered unrecoverable,” Mr. Stemm said. “This opens up the entire ocean floor.”