La Nuestra Senora de Atocha, constructed in Havana Harbor, left the port of Havana on September 4, 1622, after much delay in construction. She was one of twenty-eight vessels in the Terre Firme Fleet, heading to Spain with trade goods and treasure. On the Fifth of September, disaster struck as Northeast winds from a massive hurricane scattered the Fleet 60 miles North of the coast of Cuba.
Treasures of the Atocha and her sister ship, the Santa Margarita, went undiscovered until July of 1985, though Spain attempted a salvage immediately after the wreck occurred.
An estimated $450,000,000.00 worth of Spanish treasure was recovered by Mel Fisher and his team of divers in the mid-to-late eighties, though a large portion of the remaining treasure has yet to be found, according to the ship's manifest.
The Atocha is widely known as the "greatest treasure ever found," in terms of overall value and difficulty of salvage. The treasures recovered on the Atocha vary from gold and silver coins that were minted in the New World Spanish colonies, Colombian Emeralds from the famed Muzo Mine, and handcrafted treasures intended for the King and Queen of Spain, Noblemen, and Clergy.
Coins from the Atocha are known by collectors as "cobs," a loose translation of "Cabo de Barra", or "End of the Bar", referring to the technique in which these handmade coins were created. They are crude, and irregular on the edges, though some of the first coins minted in the New World were exquisitely created by indigenous artisans trained in the Spanish style.
$12,000
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: RL Weight: 24.4g Date: Not Visible Grade: 1 Origin: Chest #3 Notes: Rare Assayer Monogram History: On September 6, 1622, the...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: RL ("Assayer "B" Monogram) Weight: 26.6g Date: Not Visible Grade: 1 Origin: Chest #3 Notes: Rare Assayer Monogram. Less...
View full product details$10,000
Denomination: 2 Reales Reign: Philip II Mint: Potosi Assayer: PAL (1618) Short tenure Assayer Weight: 5.4g Date: NV Grade: One History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "M" - Mejia (1616-1617) Weight: 23.9 Date: Full Date - 1617 Grade: 1 85A-174094
View full product details$8,975
Denomination: 2 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "B" - Juan Ballesteros (1577-1586) Weight: 6.10 grams Date: Never dated Grade: One (1) Note: Appears to have been struck...
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This is a must have coin for any Atocha coin collector This is an exceptional 8 Reales Atocha from Assayer "T"; who was thought to be...
View full product details$7,500
Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip II Mint: Potosi Assayer: "B" Juan de Ballesteros - early - (1577-1586) Weight: 13.10 grams Date: NV Grade: One Artifact Number: 85A-214662 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily...
View full product details$7,200
Nuestra Señora de Atocha Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Weight: 13.10 grams Date: Partial Date 16(XX) Grade: Two (2) Mount: 14K gold History: On September 6,...
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Denomination: 2 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "Q" (1612-1616) - Augusta de la Quadra Weight: 4.20 Date: never dated Grade: 2 Mount: 14k Gold, 3ct Emeralds ...
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Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Weight: 11.5 grams Date: Not Visible Grade: Three (3) Mount: 14 kt gold - accented with qty of 29, 2.5mm...
View full product details$6,600
Denomination: 4 Reales Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Mexico Assayer: not visible Weight: 11.7 g Date: Partial #618 Grade: Grade 2 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon...
View full product details$6,000
Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "Not Visible Weight: 12.5 grams Date: Not Visible Grade: Two (2) Coin Note: Reversal on Reverse - Rare Philip IIII - Philip IIII on...
View full product details$5,700
Denomination: 8 Reale Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "R" Weight: 25.3 g Date: Not Visible Grade: 2 ID: A-85A-152767 Note: "Balastar Ramos Leceta" was know for a curved "R" Assayer...
View full product details$5,500
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip II Mint: Potosi Assayer: NV (A) Weight: 23.40g Date: NV Grade: One History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King Philip IV's Terra...
View full product details$5,100
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "R" (1610-1612) Balastar Ramos Leceta (Large curved "R") Weight: 24.7 grams Date: Not Visible Grade: Three (3) 85A-181357
View full product details$4,600
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Q Weight: 24.6g Date: Not Visible Grade: 1 Origin: Chest #3 Note: Broken die strike on the shield side....
View full product details$4,400
Denomination: 8 Reale Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Weight: 24.1g Date: Not Visible Grade: 2 Coin Number: 85A-105513 Origin: 2063 Mount: 14k Melt Mount with...
View full product details$4,200
Denomination: 8 Reale Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Weight: 20.10g Date: Not Visible Grade: Three (3) Coin Number: 85A-116957 Origin: #289A Mount: 14K Gold (11.5 grams) with...
View full product details$3,600
Denomination: 8 Reales Mint: Potosi, Peru Weight: 26.00 grams Grade: Three (3) Date: Partial Date (XXX)0 Reign: Philip III Assayer: "T" Tapia (1618-1621) History: On September 6, 1622,...
View full product details$2,285
Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "Q" Augusta de la Quadra (1612-1616) Weight: 8.73 grams Date: Never Dated Grade: Four (4) History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden...
View full product details$1,800
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Weight: 0.7g Date: Not Visible Grade: 5 Recovery Vessel: JB Magruder Recovery Date: 2/8/1999 Comments: One of...
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