Authentic Atocha Grade 1, 8 Reales in 14K Gold Bezel
| Number: | 85A-261017 |
| Denomination: | 8 Reales |
| Mint: | Potosi |
| Reign: | Phillip III |
| Mint Master: | Q 1612-1616 |
| Date: | Never Dated |
| Grade: | ONE (1) |
Approx. 2.25” long (including the bail), 1.75” wide
On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King Philip IV’s Tierra Firme Fleet struck a reef and sank in a raging storm near the Florida Keys. All attempts to locate the shipwreck failed until the location of the primary cultural deposit was made by Mel Fisher and Treasure Salvors, Inc., on July 20th, 1985.
The Nuestra Senora de Atocha carried over 200,000 hand stamped silver coins from mints in Potosi, Lima and Mexico City. Silver coins are referred to as “pieces of eight” and were measured in reales. Their denominations are 8 reales, 4 reales, 2 reales, 1 real, ½ real and ¼ real. An 8 reales silver Atocha coin was roughly equivalent to one month’s pay for a sailor in the 1600’s. Due to the crude hand-struck minting process, no two coins look alike.
Protect your investment when you buy directly from the ones who discovered the Atocha and Margarita shipwrecks, Mel Fisher's Treasures. Every Atocha or Margarita shipwreck artifact recovered by our divers and available for sale on our official Mel Fisher web store has our guarantee that it is authentic and comes with our high-security certificate of authenticity.
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