This is the second of a six-part series that takes you behind of the scenes to watch preparations for marketing material retrieved in 2014 from the historic shipwreck:

In mid-February our senior editor Paul Gilkes spent a few hours at the headquarters of the Professional Coin Grading Service, speaking with Robert Evans, the chief scientist and historian on two separate sets of explorations of the wrecksite of the SS Central America.

Above, Evans walks us through his process of curating the coins, which can take anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the amount and composition of the foreign matter that coats their surfaces.

Below are a few related narratives that we've shared with you over the past few years that speak to the magnitude of this treasure. 

Ship of Gold, part 2, ready for another numismatic voyage SS Central America treasure salvaged in 2014 to go on public display

Ship of Gold, part 2, ready for another numismatic voyage SS Central America treasure salvaged in 2014 to go on public display

What is the SS Central America and why is it so important to numismatics? Steamship was carrying precious cargo when it capsized off the South Carolina coast in 1857