Monday, March 20, 2006
More than 3,600 U.S. and Italian bank notes recovered from the 1956 Andrea Doria shipwreck have been submitted by Rare Coin Wholesalers to PCGS Currency for inventorying and certification. Primarily $1 Silver Certificates and Banca d’Italia 50 lire, 100 lire and 1,000 lire, the notes were housed in a 650-pound safe aboard the sunken Italian ocean liner.
They were recovered in 1981 by marine explorer and department store heir Peter Gimbel.
Each note is contained in a two-piece, screw-together Lucite holder, along with a small certificate mentioning the Andrea Doria connection. PCGS Currency is adding tamper-resistant tape around the edges of the holders and applying stickers with basic information about the note.
The notes are expected to be sold in July around the 50th anniversary of the sinking. Though not set at press time, prices for historical reasons are expected to be far higher than numismatic values of similar notes.