Artifacts from 1857 shipwreck go up for sale

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A submersible that helped retrieve gold from an 1857 shipwreck off the South Carolina coast three decades ago is for sale, along with the ship’s large, bronze bell and other artifacts.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the sale of items from the shipwrecked S.S. Central America. The recovery project is being overseen by a court because it’s tied to legal proceedings involving ex-fugitive treasure hunter Tommy Thompson. He found the wreckage on a voyage funded by investors who later sued because they didn’t share in the profits.

Central Ohio auctioneer Robert Cassel, who’s working on the sale, says there are thousands of items, including jewelry, passengers’ tickets and cigars.

He says if one buyer can’t be found for the whole lot by early next year, items will be sold piecemeal.

___

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com