Early CurrencySpanish RealesWWII SilverTrench Art Coins

In the time before each country had its own currency, items including gold, silver, arrowheads, and beads were used for trade. Shipwrecked Treasure Museum offers the opportunity for visitors to see a wealth of different types of currency up close. In addition to our rare coin collection and huge silver bars, we have early forms…

A Spanish Galleon ship called the Tortugas was carrying cargo from the New World to Spain in 1622 when it was hit by a hurricane and capsized, losing its treasures to the sea. The Spanish Reales (also known as Pieces of Eight) were used as Spanish currency for centuries and were designed to weigh one…

In 1941, the British cargo ship SS Gairsoppa was carrying over 7,000 tons of supplies, including silver ingots that were intended to fund the Allied Forces in the war. The ship was running low on coal and was diverted to Ireland to refuel. A German U-boat spotted the ship and torpedoed it, causing both the…

“Trench Art” is a term that refers to decorative pieces created by soldiers during war, often by carving words and images into coins. While it is generally difficult to verify as being authentic, the trench art coins displayed at the museum went down with the SS Republic just after the Civil War, making it easy…