S.S. Andrea Doria: $1 Silver Cert + 1,000 Lire PCGS

The S. S. Andrea Doria was as much a floating art gallery as a luxury cruise vessel. Her maiden voyage set sail only three years prior to what still remains as one of the greatest maritime disasters. On July 25, 1956 nearly two thousand passengers and crew members were awoke when screams and sirens pierced the silence as the vessel collided with the Europe-bound, Stockholm, off the coast of Nantucket at 11:10 p.m. Within eleven hours, the "unsinkable" 700-foot, double-hull, "floating art gallery" had completely sunk to the floor of the Atlantic.

The sinking of the S.S. Andrea Doria remains not only one of the greatest maritime disasters, but also, one of the greatest maritime rescues. All but 46 passengers were rescued amidst the fog and chaos of the collision. In addition to the lives, numismatic relics were also salvaged. On August 27, 1981, a team lead by marine explorer and department store heir, Peter Gimble, recovered the Banco di Roma safe which had been submerged more than 250 feet underwater for more than one-quarter century. Three years later, the safe was opened during a live television broadcast revealing stacks of U.S. $1 silver certificates and Italian banknotes in 50, 100, and 1,000 Lire denominations.

After a meticulous inventory to document the origin of each piece, some of the notes were preserved and protected in specially-made Lucite holders. These holders were sealed by PCGS along with a certificate of authenticity. It is a thrill to offer such historically important relics from this famous maritime disaster to our clients. Each set includes a $1 silver certificate and an Italian 1,000 Lire salvaged from the Andrea Doria mounted in custom acrylic ready to display, a DVD documenting the historical event, and a booklet to offer additional insight and information about the tragedy.

$1 Silver Certificate and 1,000 Lire, each PCGS certified.