100 Objects #23: Coin From the Ship of Gold
6 November - 40 minsOn August 20th, 1857 a ship set sail from the Port of San Francisco with 600 people and thousands of pounds of gold. That gold was destined for the vaults of New York City banks, but it never made it. Instead, the ship sank to the bottom of the ocean, taking all that gold with it. Executive Producer Annie Brown sits down with Roman Mars to tell the story of the sinking of the SS Central America and the gold that sparked the first global financial panic, helped fuel the Civil War, and—over a century later—ruined one man’s life.
A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.
Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invi...
Series Episodes
Zone Zero
Across the West, there's a contentious debate playing out over how to adapt homes and neighborhoods to this era of increasingly extreme wildfire risk. In Berkeley, California, it's become a particularly emotional fight because of a very specific architectural history that began all the way back in the 1890s. Emmett Fitzgerald reports on the new rules about what plants you can grow around your house.
37 mins
3 November Finished
100 Objects #22: AOL Disc
In the 1990s, AOL introduced millions of Americans to the internet with its ubiquitous free CDs, but how did the company that once dominated the internet nearly disappear?
34 mins
30 October Finished
Doktoro Esperanto
Reporter Katie Thornton tells the story of Doktoro Esperanto’s dream, and what we can all still learn from Esperanto right now.
35 mins
27 October Finished
100 Objects #21: Window from the House of D
How a women’s prison in Greenwich Village, and its unusual open windows, helped shape queer community and the modern gay rights movement.
37 mins
23 October Finished
Audio Guide of the Imperfections of a Perfect Masterpiece
A closer look at the quirks, imperfections, and clever design solutions that have helped Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum evolve over the decades.
29 mins
21 October Finished
