Bolivia 8 Reales 1618-21 "Atocha 1622 Shipwreck" PCGS F
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Bolivia (Potosí) 8 Reales, ca. 1618–1621 — Recovered from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha (1622)
This superbly preserved 8 reales, struck at the Potosí mint during the late reign of Philip III or very early under Philip IV, belongs to the most iconic and thoroughly studied numismatic assemblages in maritime archaeology: the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Lost in September 1622 during the flota’s return voyage, the Atocha carried a concentrated cargo of South American silver — both royal and privately consigned — alongside emeralds, ingots, and contraband goods. The Mel Fisher expeditions of the 1980s not only recovered the “mother lode” but also provided detailed chest-by-chest records that now underpin scholarly reconstructions of minting patterns, transatlantic bullion logistics, and the imperial fiscal system in the early seventeenth century.
Dated stylistically to 1618–1621 and certainly the work of assayer “T” (a dominant figure in Atocha-era Potosí production), this cob exhibits the irregular flan and bold hammering characteristic of the high-altitude mint’s output. The reverse — the cross side — is especially crisp, with full, even relief across the cross, castles, and lions. Such strike quality is rare in shipwreck cobs, where flans were often off-center or poorly defined, and it provides unusually clean data for die-linkage analysis within the Atocha assemblage. The strong reverse also suggests optimal planchet preparation and central hammering, possibly placing this coin in a specific die family recorded in other Atocha chests.
The coin’s stable, rich toning is more than an aesthetic virtue: it preserves a chemical record of its three-and-a-half centuries underwater. Silver from the wreck underwent gradual sulphidation and halide mineralization within low-oxygen, organic-rich microenvironments created by the wooden coin chests and associated cargo. The result here is a uniform grey patina with iridescent highlights, particularly in protected recesses of the reverse, indicating minimal post-recovery cleaning and excellent conservation. These surface characteristics are invaluable for metallurgical studies, allowing researchers to trace both mint alloying practices and site-specific corrosion pathways.
From a historical perspective, this piece represents not just currency, but the machinery of empire. Eight reales from Potosí were the backbone of Habsburg fiscal policy — instruments for paying European troops, settling international debts, and underpinning global trade through the Manila galleons. The 1622 loss, compounded by Spain’s already strained finances, had measurable repercussions in Seville and Madrid, forcing emergency fiscal measures and loans. Coins like this survive as tangible evidence of that disruption and the flows of wealth that sustained early modern imperial power.
Today, the combination of outstanding strike, exceptional toning, and ironclad provenance makes this coin a research-grade specimen. It offers direct insights into Potosí mint operations during a crucial dynastic transition, the economic networks of the Spanish Atlantic, and the taphonomic processes of one of history’s most famous shipwrecks. For the specialist, it stands as a perfect nexus of numismatics, archaeology, and imperial history — a single silver disc that carries the story of an empire’s ambitions, its maritime perils, and the long scientific effort to recover its lost treasure.
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
This superbly preserved 8 reales, struck at the Potosí mint during the late reign of Philip III or very early under Philip IV, belongs to the most iconic and thoroughly studied numismatic assemblages in maritime archaeology: the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Lost in September 1622 during the flota’s return voyage, the Atocha carried a concentrated cargo of South American silver — both royal and privately consigned — alongside emeralds, ingots, and contraband goods. The Mel Fisher expeditions of the 1980s not only recovered the “mother lode” but also provided detailed chest-by-chest records that now underpin scholarly reconstructions of minting patterns, transatlantic bullion logistics, and the imperial fiscal system in the early seventeenth century.
Dated stylistically to 1618–1621 and certainly the work of assayer “T” (a dominant figure in Atocha-era Potosí production), this cob exhibits the irregular flan and bold hammering characteristic of the high-altitude mint’s output. The reverse — the cross side — is especially crisp, with full, even relief across the cross, castles, and lions. Such strike quality is rare in shipwreck cobs, where flans were often off-center or poorly defined, and it provides unusually clean data for die-linkage analysis within the Atocha assemblage. The strong reverse also suggests optimal planchet preparation and central hammering, possibly placing this coin in a specific die family recorded in other Atocha chests.
The coin’s stable, rich toning is more than an aesthetic virtue: it preserves a chemical record of its three-and-a-half centuries underwater. Silver from the wreck underwent gradual sulphidation and halide mineralization within low-oxygen, organic-rich microenvironments created by the wooden coin chests and associated cargo. The result here is a uniform grey patina with iridescent highlights, particularly in protected recesses of the reverse, indicating minimal post-recovery cleaning and excellent conservation. These surface characteristics are invaluable for metallurgical studies, allowing researchers to trace both mint alloying practices and site-specific corrosion pathways.
From a historical perspective, this piece represents not just currency, but the machinery of empire. Eight reales from Potosí were the backbone of Habsburg fiscal policy — instruments for paying European troops, settling international debts, and underpinning global trade through the Manila galleons. The 1622 loss, compounded by Spain’s already strained finances, had measurable repercussions in Seville and Madrid, forcing emergency fiscal measures and loans. Coins like this survive as tangible evidence of that disruption and the flows of wealth that sustained early modern imperial power.
Today, the combination of outstanding strike, exceptional toning, and ironclad provenance makes this coin a research-grade specimen. It offers direct insights into Potosí mint operations during a crucial dynastic transition, the economic networks of the Spanish Atlantic, and the taphonomic processes of one of history’s most famous shipwrecks. For the specialist, it stands as a perfect nexus of numismatics, archaeology, and imperial history — a single silver disc that carries the story of an empire’s ambitions, its maritime perils, and the long scientific effort to recover its lost treasure.
Click Here to read more about the 'Atocha 1622 Shipwreck'
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