The artifacts recovered from the shipwrecks featured on this website have also appeared in museums and institutions around the world. Artifacts have been made available on temporary loan, such as the wooden carpenter’s rule found in the Western Approaches on a late 17th century English merchantman (site 35F), possibly owned by the Royal Africa Co., the only one ever discovered on a shipwreck, which was displayed at Museum of the History of Science, University of Oxford, in 2010.
The Voices from the Deep exhibition displays a selection of over 700 personal letters recovered from the SS Gairsoppa that had been trapped at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for nearly three quarters of a century. Twelve bundles of letters, written 77 years ago but never delivered, and a silver ingot that was making its way from British India to the UK to help with the war effort are on display in this temporary exhibit.
The permanent exhibit Treasure Seekers: Conquistadors, Pirates and Shipwrecks explores this history of these subjects as they related to Florida and their effect on the rest of the maritime world. Pottery, cannon, a ship’s bell and navigational tools recovered from various shipwrecks featured on this website are showcased alongside the history of exploration.
New Orleans Mint
A collection of 45 rare coins from the SS Republic shipwreck, minted in New Orleans from 1844 through 1861, is currently showcased at the New Orleans Mint (known today as the Old U.S. Mint). This unique exhibit features examples of die errors and a rare 17 coin set of 1861-O Liberty Seated Half Dollars struck at the New Orleans Mint which chronicles the Federal government, Louisiana government and Confederate States of America control over the mint that year.
