Atocha Shipwreck - (1598-1621) Philip III Bolivia 8 Reales (23.60g) Silver Coin, Grade Two (2) (Mel Fisher COA & Assayer)

On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King Philip IV's Tierra Finne Fleet struck a reef and sank in a raging storm near the Florida Keys. More that two hundred and sixty persons perished and tons of gold, silver, and other precious cargo were lost to the sea. All attempts to locate the shipwreck failed until the location of the primary cultural deposit was made by Treasure Salvors, Inc., on July 20th 1985.

Most of the coins recovered from the Atocha were minted in the New World and usually have irregular shapes. They were manufactured by cutting coin blanks from crudely cast bars of refined silver bullion; then clipped to the requisite weight, heated, and hand-hammered between crudely engraven dies. The rough surface and irregular circumference of the blanks prevented well defined strikes; consequently the legends are frequently missing or only partially visible. The Spanish authorities were unconcerned with the shape of the coins or visible dates. The important features were the assayer's mark and mint mark, as it guaranteed the fineness of the bullion and the proper weight. The penalty for not showing these marks were severe.

Coins of Philip II (1556-1598) and Philip III (1598-1621) bear a simplified Hapsburg Shield on the Obverse. The legend, if complete, reads "PHILIPPVS II (III) DEI GRATIA", "Philip II (III) By the Grace of God". The reverse has a cross with castles and lions in the quarters. The legend reads "HISPANIARVM: ET : INDIARVM: REX", "King of Spain and the Indies".

The Atocha Shipwreck was awarded to Treasures Salvors, Inc. by the Admiralty Jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and by the United States Supreme Court, and its artifacts have remained in the possession of Treasure Salvors, Inc. until this time.

Due to the uniqueness of each item, please refer to the photos provided in this auction. We offer high resolution images of each item rather than a written description of condition.

This item is being shipped from the Pristine Auction warehouse.