The SS Republic was a Civil War-era sidewheel steamship that sank during a hurricane in October 1865 while en route from New York to New Orleans with a cargo meant to help rebuild the city after the Civil War.
The Republic was discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration in 2003 at a depth of nearly 1700 feet. Before the archaeological excavation began, a photomosaic of the shipwreck site (using thousands of digital pictures) created a permanent record of the site as it looked when discovered. During the archaeological excavation, 262 dives were completed with the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ZEUS, logging 3500 hours of bottom time. Over 51,000 U.S. gold and silver coins were recovered from the Republic wreck site, as well as over 14,000 artifacts - a fascinating assortment of 19th century goods in use during the Civil War years.
More information about the SS Republic is available here. Five archaeological and scientific papers about the SS Republic and her recovered cargo are available here.
