North Carolina 1oz Gold Proof

The North Carolina was 205-foot long iron-hulled English barque. She was launched for the Macmillan & Son Shipyard in Dumbarton, Scotland in October 1876 and was owned and operated by Patton, Vickers and Co. of Liverpool. She was en route from Baltimore to Liverpool in winter 1879, with a general cargo of cotton and other goods, when it was discovered that the rudder was damaged and, on 21 November 1879, she detoured to Bermuda for essential maintenance. The repaired ship left St. George’s Harbour, Bermuda on 30 December 1879 but ran aground on western reef on New Year’s day 1880. There are many conflicting reports regarding the cause of the accident, as there were no problems with either the weather or visibility. The authorities were suspicious of the fact that the cargo was saved so quickly. The ship had the highest insurance classification allowed by Lloyds of London and it was suspected that the North Carolina’s captain, Alexander Buchan, was in collusion with someone in Bermuda and had planned to wreck the ship. Today, the wreckage of the North Carolina sits upright in 25-45 feet of water.