Bolivia 8 Reales 1603-12 "Atocha 1622 Shipwreck" RAW
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BOLIVIA, Potosí mint, Philip III, Cob 8 Reales, ND (1603–1612), assayer P-R, KM-10, Cal-912. 23.50 grams. Grade 3, XF (Shipwreck Effect).
Recovered from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, sunk in 1622 off Key West, Florida. Accompanied by original Treasure Salvors tag and photo-certificate #85A-156453.
This impressive piece of maritime and monetary history is a silver 8 reales cob struck at the Potosí mint during the reign of King Philip III of Spain, salvaged from the legendary wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha—perhaps the most iconic treasure galleon ever lost to the sea.
Rich in detail and substance despite its centuries underwater, this cob displays a well-preserved cross and shield, signs of corrosion and “shipwreck effect” typical of Grade 3 recovery coins, and weighs in at a substantial 23.50 grams. Minted between 1603 and 1612 under the assayer mark P-R, it was originally part of Spain's sprawling imperial economy, a system powered by vast extractions of silver from the New World.
Philip III (r. 1598–1621), though less engaged in governance than his predecessor, ruled during a time when Spain was still the dominant European and global power. A devout Catholic and patron of the arts, Philip III left the reins of government largely in the hands of his favorite, the Duke of Lerma, whose administration was marked by corruption, extravagance, and economic mismanagement. Nonetheless, the empire continued to reap immense wealth from its American colonies, and coins such as this one were the backbone of imperial finance—used to pay for wars, maintain Spain's courtly splendor, and support its religious campaigns across Europe.
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha—from which this coin was recovered—was the almiranta (rear guard ship) of the 28-vessel Tierra Firme fleet. On September 4, 1622, shortly after setting sail from Havana for Spain, the fleet was caught in a ferocious hurricane in the Florida Straits. The Atocha sank near what is now Key West, taking with it one of the largest treasure cargos ever assembled. Official records listed her cargo as including 24 tons of silver in 1,038 ingots, over 180,000 silver coins, 582 copper ingots, 125 gold bars and discs, over 1,200 pounds of worked silverware, and countless goods and contraband—hidden wealth smuggled aboard to avoid the king’s tax.
The wreck remained lost for more than 350 years until treasure hunter Mel Fisher launched an ambitious 16-year search beginning in 1969. In 1973, silver bars were matched to the ship’s original manifest. In 1980, a portion of the Santa Margarita was found, and finally, on July 20, 1985, Fisher’s team discovered the Atocha’s “motherlode”—a coral-encrusted reef of silver bars, gold, jewels, and artifacts that would captivate the public and cement the Atocha's status as the most celebrated shipwreck treasure in modern history.
Coins like this one, preserved through centuries beneath the sea and recovered through sheer persistence, are tangible relics of Spain's imperial might, the peril of transatlantic voyages, and the modern age of treasure hunting. Today, they are cherished not only for their historical and numismatic value but as symbols of the enduring human quest for discovery.x
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
Recovered from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, sunk in 1622 off Key West, Florida. Accompanied by original Treasure Salvors tag and photo-certificate #85A-156453.
This impressive piece of maritime and monetary history is a silver 8 reales cob struck at the Potosí mint during the reign of King Philip III of Spain, salvaged from the legendary wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha—perhaps the most iconic treasure galleon ever lost to the sea.
Rich in detail and substance despite its centuries underwater, this cob displays a well-preserved cross and shield, signs of corrosion and “shipwreck effect” typical of Grade 3 recovery coins, and weighs in at a substantial 23.50 grams. Minted between 1603 and 1612 under the assayer mark P-R, it was originally part of Spain's sprawling imperial economy, a system powered by vast extractions of silver from the New World.
Philip III (r. 1598–1621), though less engaged in governance than his predecessor, ruled during a time when Spain was still the dominant European and global power. A devout Catholic and patron of the arts, Philip III left the reins of government largely in the hands of his favorite, the Duke of Lerma, whose administration was marked by corruption, extravagance, and economic mismanagement. Nonetheless, the empire continued to reap immense wealth from its American colonies, and coins such as this one were the backbone of imperial finance—used to pay for wars, maintain Spain's courtly splendor, and support its religious campaigns across Europe.
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha—from which this coin was recovered—was the almiranta (rear guard ship) of the 28-vessel Tierra Firme fleet. On September 4, 1622, shortly after setting sail from Havana for Spain, the fleet was caught in a ferocious hurricane in the Florida Straits. The Atocha sank near what is now Key West, taking with it one of the largest treasure cargos ever assembled. Official records listed her cargo as including 24 tons of silver in 1,038 ingots, over 180,000 silver coins, 582 copper ingots, 125 gold bars and discs, over 1,200 pounds of worked silverware, and countless goods and contraband—hidden wealth smuggled aboard to avoid the king’s tax.
The wreck remained lost for more than 350 years until treasure hunter Mel Fisher launched an ambitious 16-year search beginning in 1969. In 1973, silver bars were matched to the ship’s original manifest. In 1980, a portion of the Santa Margarita was found, and finally, on July 20, 1985, Fisher’s team discovered the Atocha’s “motherlode”—a coral-encrusted reef of silver bars, gold, jewels, and artifacts that would captivate the public and cement the Atocha's status as the most celebrated shipwreck treasure in modern history.
Coins like this one, preserved through centuries beneath the sea and recovered through sheer persistence, are tangible relics of Spain's imperial might, the peril of transatlantic voyages, and the modern age of treasure hunting. Today, they are cherished not only for their historical and numismatic value but as symbols of the enduring human quest for discovery.x
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
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