LOT #24011 |
Current Bid: $1,050
Bolivia: Philip III "Atocha" Cob 8 Reales ND (1598-1621) XF (Shipwreck Effect), ...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
Philip III "Atocha" Cob 8 Reales ND (1598-1621) XF (Shipwreck Effect), Potosi mint, KM10, Cal-Type 165. 24.30gm. Grade 2. Salvaged from the "Nuestra Señora de Atocha" (sunk in 1622 off Key West, Florida).Sold with original tag and Treasure Salvors photo-certificate 85A-244979.
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha was the Admiral Galleon of the Tierra Firme Fleet, a twenty-eight-ship fleet carrying an unprecedented amount of treasure from the Americas. Sailing from Havana bound to Spain on the 4th of September 1622, the armada was hit by a massive hurricane in the Florida Keys, most of the fleet being decimated and the treasure sinking to the Atlantic seabed. The Spanish efforts to retrieve the precious cargo weren't fruitful, which led to the scattering of the vast amount of treasure across the Florida coast with subsequent hurricanes. The original manifesto of the Atocha was impressive: 24 tons of silver in 1038 ingots, 180,000 Pesos in silver coins, 582 copper ingots, 125 gold bars and discs, 1,200 pounds of worked silverware and other goods; and that's only what was officially transported, since smuggling treasure to avoid taxes was very common in the period, with some estimating that a large percentage of the total cargo was in contraband. In 1969, treasure hunter Mel Fisher began a long-lasting, 16-year quest to locate the treasure. Over the years, isolated coins and artifacts were found scattered across Florida's "treasure coast", many given to investors who funded the operation. In 1973 three silver bars were found and matched to the original 17th century manifesto, leading the crew closer to the main wreck site. By 1980 a significant part of the Santa Margarita had been located, counting with gold bars, silver coins and jewelry. On July 20th, 1985, the motherlode was located, when divers found a "reef of bars". The main pile of the Atocha provided countless artifacts which quickly became immersed in Florida's pop culture and would later become perhaps the world's most famous shipwreck treasure in history.
From the Salvager Collection
Metal: Silver
View all of [The Salvager Collection ]
Auction Info
2025 November 11 Spotlight: Shipwreck & Treasure featuring the Salvager Collection World Coins Showcase Auction #61563 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
November
11th
Tuesday
6:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
November
11th
Tuesday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
10 Days
1h 42m 52s
Internet/Mail Bids: 7
Lot Tracking Activity: 22
Page Views: 127
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid (minimum $29) per lot.
This lot is in: 1 -
World & Ancient Coins Session
(Lots 24001-24321) - 7:00 PM Central Time, Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | Ancient Coins Grading Tutorial
World and Ancient Coin Bibliography
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | Ancient Coins Grading Tutorial
World and Ancient Coin Bibliography