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.
$7,800
Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Not Visible Assayer: Not Visible Weight: 9.49 gm Date: Not Visible Grade: PNCS Graded - 3073678 - Four (4) Note: Reversal...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Potosi visible Assayer: "T" Juan Ximenez de Tapia (1618-1621) Weight: 26.2 gm Date: Not Visible Grade: Two (2) Note: This...
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Denomination: 4 Reales Reign: Philip III Mint: Mexico Assayer: not visible Weight: 11.7 g Date: Partial #618 Grade: Grade 2 Mount: Sterling Silver with 14K prongs and bale History: On September 6, 1622, the...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Grade: Two (2) Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Reign: Philip III Weight: 25 gm Date: Not Visible Note: Broken Die on cross...
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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,...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Grade: Three (3) Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Reign: Philip III Weight: 21.38 gm Date: Not Visible History: On September 6, 1622, the...
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Denomination: 4 Reales Grade: Three (3) Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Reign: Philip III Weight: 9.4 gm Date: Not Visible Note: Reversal on Reverse (cross side)...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Grade: Grade 3 Mint: Potosi Assayer: "Q" Augusta de la Quadra (1612-1616) Reign: Philip III Weight: 18.30 gm Date: Not Visible History:...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Grade: Three (3) Mint: Potosi Assayer: Not Visible Reign: Philip III Weight: 15.70 gm Date: Not Visible History: On September 6, 1622, the...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Grade: Three (3) Mint: Potosi Assayer: Juan Ximenez Tapia "T". (1618-1620) Reign: King Philip III Weight: 19.60 Date: Not Visible History: On September...
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Denomination: 8 Reales Grade: Four (4) Mint: Potosi Assayer: "M" 1616-1617 (1st dated coin) Reign: King Philip III Weight: 17.0 gm Date: Not Visible History: On September 6,...
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