Hello. I was recently reading an article about a local East Coast shipwreck dating from about 1900. There was speculation that the ship was smuggling contraband silver coinage from China. I am somewhat skeptical of that claim, for several reasons. I have not been able to find documentation of any US import restrictions (or outright embargo) on silver coins at that time. Western US silver mining seems to have still be going strong, and demand for silver in China itself also appears to have been robust then. None of that would seem to support an incentive for anyone to smuggle Chinese silver coin into the US in 1900. Does anyone here have any information that would lead toward a different conclusion? Thanks!
