ANA'S TREASURES OF THE DEEP EXHIBIT

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V17 2014 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 17, Number 23, June 1, 2014, Article 34

The American Numismatic Association is opening a new exhibit at their Colorado Springs headquarters on coins recovered from shipwrecks. The following press release was published May 27, 2014. -Editor

Spanish Netherlands, Brugges, silver Patagon, 1622

The Edward C. Rochette Money Museum will present a new exhibit, "Treasures of the Deep: Galleons, Storms and Archeology," telling the story of the world's greatest shipwrecks, the treasures they carried and the efforts to preserve the shipwreck sites. The exhibit opens on June 5 with a free Open House.

"This exhibit focuses not only on the romance of sunken treasure, but also on the exciting process of rediscovering and recovering treasure from the ocean floor," said Douglas Mudd, curator for the Money Museum. "A big part of the story is the science involved in rediscovering these wrecks, which are time capsules that preserve the history of seafaring."

The lure of gold and silver discovered in North America drew settlers from Europe to explore and colonize the New World, changing the economic and political world map in the process. Spain used the bullion discovered to craft ingots and coinage in the form of silver reales and gold escudos. These coins would dominate the world economy for centuries and become legendary for their rich history as pirate gold and lost treasure.

The exhibit will explore adventures on the world's oceans along with artifacts and treasure found in underwater wrecks from the 16th century to the modern day. The history of underwater recovery and archaeology will be highlighted with the help of Odyssey Marine Exploration, one of the largest and most successful underwater recovery organizations. The exhibit highlights the research and technology used to locate long-lost ships and preserve historical artifacts.

See "Treasures of the Deep" during a free opening reception from 5-7 p.m. June 5 at the Money Museum, 818 N. Cascade Ave., in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Visitors can take home a special "Treasures of the Deep" medallette. Complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

The exhibit is sponsored by Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC, an auctioneer and specialist in shipwreck coins.

The Money Museum hours are 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, students or military and free for children 12 and under. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 719-632-2646.

The ANA has placed a number of images of exhibit items on Pinterest. I believe this is a first for the organization; I'm not sure if other numismatic organizations have gone this route yet. Any venue for getting the word out to more people is a good one. One image that intrigued me is the below clump of U.S. Half dollars recovered from the SS Republic. -Editor

To visit the Pinterest page, see: Treasures of the Deep (www.pinterest.com/anacoins/treasures-of-the-deep/)

To read the complete article, see: Money Museum presents new exhibit: ‘Treasures of the Deep’ (www.money.org/communications/press-releases/archives/2014-press-releases/money-museum-presents-new-exhibit-%E2%80%98treasures-of-the-deep%E2%80%99.aspx)

Wayne Homren, Editor