ABSTRACT
The most numismatically important underwater subfield is shipwreck archaeology. In the waters of North America, shipwreck finds are much more limited than in the Mediterranean or the South China Sea simply because shipping is more recent. When archaeologists work with salvage or treasure recovery firms to identify and analyze the artifacts found in shipwrecks, the circumstances are hardly ideal. Coins can be helpful in determining past ownership of specific cargoes and groups of artifacts. Coins bring their maximum prices when they are correctly identified, the circumstances of their recovery are known, the project has been studied in-depth by archaeologists, and the work has been published. There are countries in which all old shipwrecks belong to the government, and state archaeologists are responsible for recovery and conservation of wrecks. Among the important the important numismatic data from the wreck was confirmation that the fractional quarter- and half-dollar gold pieces of California, found with other circulating coins in the effects of passengers.
