The Story Behind Georgia's Most Famous Shipwreck Will Completely Captivate You
By Marisa Roman|Published August 21, 2018
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Marisa Roman
Author
A New Jersey native with over 15 years of writing experience, Marisa has studied at both New York University and Florida International University. She has lived all over the country, including a decade stint in South Florida. Marisa is well-versed in exploration as she travels a good majority of the year in her self-converted Sprinter van. Her articles have been featured in various notable publications over the years, she has a published collection of short stories, and three completed screenplays under her belt.
When most people think about Georgia, they won’t automatically think about the rich maritime history this state holds. However, since the 1730s alone, there has been at least 1,200 historically significant ships which have gone down along coastal Georgia. Whether it be whaling ships, cotton schooners, WWI oilers or Civil War cargo ships, there has been plenty of activity along the coast of Georgia. Yet, this one particular shipwreck might just be the most famous of them all.
Coastal Georgia has seen its fair share of shipwrecks and maritime disasters throughout the past few centuries.
The most heartbreaking part of the shipwreck was not the loss of gold or silver, but instead it was much needed cargo that was necessary to help rebuild New Orleans economy after the Civil War.
Nearly 150 years later, an archaeological excavation in 2003 stumbled upon the shipwreck off the coast of Georgia, and used advanced robotics to excavate the deep sea fortune.
Over 51,000 gold and silver coins were recovered from the SS Republic shipwreck, plus a spectacular arrangement of 19th century goods used during that time period.
For those who are wondering about the exchange rates from the 1800s, National Geographic claims that of the 20,000 $20 gold pieces on board, each gold piece today is worth between $6,000 to $9,000.
But what makes the SS Republic shipwreck so fascinating is that it set an important precedent for the archaeological standards that are used in deep-sea shipwreck excavation to this day.
Ownership of the SS Republic shipwreck stands with a well-known deep sea salvage company known as Odyssey, who discovered the wreck after a long, patient 12 year search.
Have you ever heard the story of the SS Republic before? If you have other stories about famous shipwrecks off the Georgia coast, share them in the comments section!
