The Durability Of Canvas: Coins Found In Sunken Wreck Survived Thanks To Bag
If you're looking for an inexpensive yet durable way to carry your things, look no further than heavy duty canvas bags. In addition to being environmentally-friendly (the lifespan of a reusable bag equals to that of more than 700 disposable plastic bags), the tough material is capable of managing all manner of stress and weight. Whether you're headed to the grocery store or the beach, printed canvas tote bags will be able to handle whatever you throw at them -- and we've got the proof to back that claim up.
In 1857, the S.S. Central America (also referred to as the more intriguing Ship of Gold) was lost in a hurricane during the final leg of a voyage from Aspinwall (now Colón), Panama, to New York City. Just recently, in 2014, the wreck was discovered. A 162-year-old lockbox was dredged up from the depths, containing two white canvas tote bags.
"Two bags found in the purser's box [back in 2014] contained a combined total of $1,588.95 face value of U.S. coins, from silver dimes to half eagle $5 gold coins, and ranging in date from 1796 to 1857,” said California Gold Marketing Group managing partner Dwight Manley.
Though the box was discovered a few years ago, the Professional Coin Grading Service has only just completed its extensive examination and cataloging work. Despite the "flimsiness" of the box when it was pulled from a 7,000-foot-depth, the coins were in remarkable condition -- free of the corrosion seen on most silver coins found on shipwrecks.
One of the chief scientists on the project, Bob Evans, claimed that, though the box did not keep water out, it did create an oxygen-starved (anaerobic) condition that "sealed off the interior environment and its chemistry from the outside seabed environment." The bags provided an added layer of protection, and managed to survive all the way to 2019.
Though you may not need to store thousands of dimes at the bottle of the ocean, your heavy duty canvas bags are sure to withstand the pressure. Whether you're using your heavy duty canvas totes as gift totes at a wedding or simply to haul books back from class, the evidence from the S.S. Central America proves that they'll be able to stand up to the task.