Bolivia 8 Reales 1598-1621 "Atocha 1622 Shipwreck" RAW
Click above image to view in eBay store
Philip III "Atocha" Cob 8 Reales (1598–1621), Potosi Mint — Shipwreck Treasure with a Story That Shook the Sea
Grade 3, 23.60g. XF with Shipwreck Effect
KM10 (Castles & Lions Transposed variety)
Recovered from the legendary wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, sunk in 1622 off the coast of Key West, Florida.
Includes original tag and Treasure Salvors photo-certificate (#85A-155655)
This extraordinary 8 Reales silver cob isn't just a coin — it’s a tangible fragment of maritime legend. Struck during the reign of Philip III at the famed Potosi mint, this piece was part of a colossal Spanish treasure convoy that met its tragic fate in one of the most storied shipwrecks in history.
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha served as the Admiral Galleon of the Tierra Firme Fleet, a 28-ship armada loaded with unimaginable wealth harvested from the Spanish colonies. On September 4, 1622, as the fleet set sail from Havana for Spain, disaster struck. A brutal hurricane tore through the Florida Straits, sinking most of the fleet and sending tons of treasure to the ocean floor.
The Atocha’s cargo was staggering: over 24 tons of silver, 180,000 silver coins, 125 gold bars, 582 copper ingots, and 1,200 pounds of worked silverware—and that's just what was officially documented. Smuggling to evade royal taxes was rampant, and historians believe a significant portion of the treasure was never recorded at all.
For more than 350 years, the treasure lay hidden beneath the sea—until Mel Fisher, a dogged treasure hunter, embarked on a relentless 16-year quest beginning in 1969. His team found scattered artifacts along Florida's "Treasure Coast," and in 1973, silver bars matching the Atocha's manifest confirmed they were on the right track. In 1980, major finds from the Santa Margarita gave hope. Then, on July 20, 1985, they struck gold—literally—when they discovered the Atocha’s main cache: an undersea "reef of bars" that unveiled one of the greatest treasure recoveries of all time.
Today, artifacts from the Atocha are revered as crown jewels of maritime archaeology and pop culture alike. This cob, weathered by the sea and steeped in centuries of history, is more than a coin — it's a survivor of empire, storm, and time.x
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
Grade 3, 23.60g. XF with Shipwreck Effect
KM10 (Castles & Lions Transposed variety)
Recovered from the legendary wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, sunk in 1622 off the coast of Key West, Florida.
Includes original tag and Treasure Salvors photo-certificate (#85A-155655)
This extraordinary 8 Reales silver cob isn't just a coin — it’s a tangible fragment of maritime legend. Struck during the reign of Philip III at the famed Potosi mint, this piece was part of a colossal Spanish treasure convoy that met its tragic fate in one of the most storied shipwrecks in history.
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha served as the Admiral Galleon of the Tierra Firme Fleet, a 28-ship armada loaded with unimaginable wealth harvested from the Spanish colonies. On September 4, 1622, as the fleet set sail from Havana for Spain, disaster struck. A brutal hurricane tore through the Florida Straits, sinking most of the fleet and sending tons of treasure to the ocean floor.
The Atocha’s cargo was staggering: over 24 tons of silver, 180,000 silver coins, 125 gold bars, 582 copper ingots, and 1,200 pounds of worked silverware—and that's just what was officially documented. Smuggling to evade royal taxes was rampant, and historians believe a significant portion of the treasure was never recorded at all.
For more than 350 years, the treasure lay hidden beneath the sea—until Mel Fisher, a dogged treasure hunter, embarked on a relentless 16-year quest beginning in 1969. His team found scattered artifacts along Florida's "Treasure Coast," and in 1973, silver bars matching the Atocha's manifest confirmed they were on the right track. In 1980, major finds from the Santa Margarita gave hope. Then, on July 20, 1985, they struck gold—literally—when they discovered the Atocha’s main cache: an undersea "reef of bars" that unveiled one of the greatest treasure recoveries of all time.
Today, artifacts from the Atocha are revered as crown jewels of maritime archaeology and pop culture alike. This cob, weathered by the sea and steeped in centuries of history, is more than a coin — it's a survivor of empire, storm, and time.x
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
|
|
|
|
|