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.
$17,000
Denomination: 2 Reales Reign: Philip II Mint: Lima Assayer: "D" - Diego de la Torre (1577-1588) Weight: 6.20 g Date: Never Dated Grade: 1 Description: This cob is known as a...
View full product details$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...
View full product details$12,000
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: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: "M" - Mejia (1616-1617) Weight: 23.9 Date: Full Date - 1617 Grade: 1 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure...
View full product details$8,700
Denomination: 2 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: T Weight: 4.7g Date: ##18 Grade: One Coin Number: 85A-126009 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon...
View full product details$8,550
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: B 1589-1615 Weight: 23.8g Date: Never dated Grade: One Coin Number: 95A-1626 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily...
View full product details$8,200
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$7,200
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 ...
View full product details$6,900
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: B (1589-1615) Weight: 22g Date: Not Visible Grade: 2 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King...
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$6,200
Denomination: 2 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: NV Weight: 6.7g Date: Not Visible Grade: One Coin Number: 86A-133009 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure...
View full product details$6,100
Denomination: 2 RealesReign: Philip IIIMint: PotosiAssayer: NVWeight: 4.4gDate: 16##Grade: 3Coin Number: 85A-144160 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King Philip IV's Terra Firme...
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 - Philip III on Reverse Mount: 14K History: On September...
View full product details$5,400
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: RAL Weight: 22.5g Date: Not Visible Grade: 2 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King Philip...
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) History: On September 6, 1622,...
View full product details$4,200
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Q Weight: 20.6g Date: Not Visible Grade: 2 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King Philip...
View full product details$4,200
Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Weight: 22.70 g Date: Not Visible Grade: 2 History: On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden treasure galleon of King Philip...
View full product details$1,800
Denomination: 8 RealesReign: Philip IIIMint: PotosiAssayer: Not VisibleWeight: 0.7gDate: Not VisibleGrade: 5Recovery Vessel: JB MagruderRecovery Date: 2/8/1999Comments: One of a clump of 37 coinsCoin Number: 99A-56828-19 History: On September 6,...
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