Coast Files Podcast

In 1857, a ship carrying an unimaginable fortune vanished in a violent storm off the Atlantic coast. The loss shocked the nation and sent millions in gold to the bottom of the ocean. This story didn’t end with the wreck. More than a century later, the discovery of the SS Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, would ignite a modern-day treasure hunt filled with legal battles, missing gold, and a mystery that remains unsolved. In this episode of Coast Files, we uncover the story of the SS Central America—a disaster where greed, tragedy, and lost treasure collide.

References:

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Students of History. (n.d.). California gold rush. https://www.studentsofhistory.com/gold-rush

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Placer miner on the Colorado River near Lees Ferry, ca. 1930 (CHS-4707) (cropped) [Photograph]. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_gold_rush#/media/File:Placer_miner_on_the_Colorado_River_near_Lees_Ferry,_ca.1930_(CHS-4707)_(cropped).jpg

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). SS Central America [Photograph]. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Central_America#/media/File:SSCentralAmerica.jpg

All That’s Interesting. (n.d.). The SS Central America: The “Ship of Gold” that sank in a hurricane. https://allthatsinteresting.com/ss-central-america

U.S. Naval Institute. (1990, January). The last cruise of the SS Central America. Naval History Magazine. https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/1990/january/last-cruise-ss-central-america

American Standard Gold. (n.d.). On this day in history: SS Central America – The ship of gold. https://www.americanstandardgold.com/blog/on-this-day-in-history-ss-central-america-the-ship-of-gold-.cfm

Smithsonian National Postal Museum. (n.d.). Sinking of the “Central America” – And its rebirth. https://postalmuseum.si.edu/sinking-of-the-%E2%80%9Ccentral-america%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%93-and-its-rebirth

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Wreck of the Central America [Photograph]. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Central_America#/media/File:Wreck_of_the_Central_America.jpg

CBS News. (2018, December 19). Treasure hunter jailed, gold coins at center of legal win. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/treasure-hunter-jailed-gold-coins-legal-win-tommy-thompson/

BBC News. (2022, March 24). US treasure hunter Tommy Thompson loses appeal over gold coins. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60866212