Key West Diary 19

The treasure of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Having read extensively about the Spanish Galleon the Atocha, listened to several lectures from marine archeologists on the Spanish fleet that sunk in 1622 during a hurricane, visited the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum many times where the bulk of the 400 million dollar treasure was brought after discovery in 1985 and having flown over the wreck site just 35 miles west of Key West, I was not going to leave Key West without purchasing a real Spanish "Cob" or silver 8 reale piece that had been recovered from the wreck site.

Because the Spanish kept such meticulous records, the mint marks on this coin show that it was minted in Potosi (Peru) between 1618 - 1622 and the assayer's name is actually listed in their records. This side of the coin is the Obverse side or the "front view".

This side is the "Reverse view" or back of the coin. Each coin was individually hand stuck using a mallet and a metal die and then was hand trimmed to achieve the proper weight. This is the reason each coin is slightly different and not exactly round like modern machine stamped coins.

Being a real history buff and particularly when it comes to ships, the sea and the men who sailed on them, being able to hold this piece of history in my hand, that was made by a Spanaird 400 years ago in the "new world" and then laid on the ocean floor for more than 350 years is a real thrill. For those people who have heard or read the term "pieces of eight" as it relates to Spanish treasure coins, the 8 Reale coin is where it originated. When a person wanted to buy something that was less than one 8 Reale coin, the coin would be cut into halves or quarters, thus the term "pieces of eight" came into existence.

Each coin recovered from the Atocha by the Mel Fisher organization is sold with a Certificate of Authenticity that comes complete with a photograph of each side of the coin, the grade of the coin, the weight and the location where it was minted.