The 25th anniversary display of over $10 million of recovered sunken treasure ranges from specks of gold dust to huge gold bars that weigh over 50 troy pounds each, including Justh & Hunter ingots weighing 754 (#4501) and 652 (#4252) ounces and a Kellogg & Humbert ingot (#804) weighing 662 ounces.
The Ship of Gold exhibit in a 40-foot long representation of the ship’s hull is courtesy of Monaco Rare Coins of Newport Beach, California. It required months of work to coordinate with collectors who privately own many of the items that will be displayed.
Robert D. Evans, the chief scientist on the 1980’s mission that located and recovered the fabulous sunken treasure, will be at the exhibit each day during the show to meet with visitors and present educational programs about the Ship of Gold.
“It’s hard to believe it has been 25 years since we first saw that sidewheel frame (on the ocean floor), sending electricity through the control room as my crewmates exclaimed, ‘Oh! You know what that is! You know what that is! All right!’ Then, seeing the first glint of gold dust in the seafloor sediment under my microscope, finding and recovering the bell, and seeing the first pile of gold bars and coins. It still seems new, like yesterday,” recalled Evans.
