Maravillas Shipwreck (1656) Potosi, Bolivia Silver Cob 8 Reales Ph. IV withCOA
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1654E, PH at top. Corroded, two dates from the Maravillas, sunk in 1656 off Grand Bahama Island. This piece comes with a certificate of authenticity. About the Maravillas, sunk in 1656 off Grand Bahama Island.
As the almiranta of the homebound Spanish fleet in January of 1656, the Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas was officially filled with over five million pesos of treasure (and probably much more in contraband, as was usually the case). That treasure included much of the silver salvaged from the South Seas Fleets Capitana of 1654 that wrecked on Chanduy Reef off Ecuador (see above). The ill-fated treasure sank once again when the Maravillas unexpectedly ran into shallow water and was subsequently rammed by one of the other ships of its fleet, forcing the captain to try to ground the Maravillas on a nearby reef on Little Bahama Bank off Grand Bahama Island. In the ensuing chaos, exacerbated by strong winds, most of the 650 people on board died in the night, and the wreckage scattered. Spanish salvagers soon recovered almost half a million pesos of treasure, followed by more recoveries over the next several decades, yet with over half of the official cargo still unfound.
The second big salvage effort on the Maravillas was achieved by Herbert Humphreys and his company Marex in the late 1980s and early 1990s, resulting in two big sales by Christies (London) in 1992 and 1993, which featured many Bogotá cob 2 escudos, more Mexico and Potosí silver cobs, and several important artifacts. The most recent big sale of Maravillas finds, presumably from one of the many salvage efforts from the 1970s and 1980s, took place in California in 2005, again with a good quantity of Bogotá cob 2 escudos. The wreck area is still being searched today, but officially the Bahamian government has not granted any leases on the site since the early 1990s. It is possible the bulk of the treasure is still to be found. Is the world's premier specialist in the colonial coinage of Spanish America, shipwreck coins and artifacts of all nations. In addition to our Online Store, we sell coins and artifacts at various numismatic shows around the nation. All items are guaranteed authentic. (9) Any reproduction of the text and/or images in this listing in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without the express permission of Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC.(International Association of Professional Numismatists) membership accepted June 22, 2010. (American Numismatic Association) member #1114440, member since 1981. (Asociación Numismática Española) members #6511. (Florida United Numismatists) member #9104 member since 1981.
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R #AU3635, AB2592 (since 2007). The item "Maravillas Shipwreck (1656) Potosi, Bolivia Silver Cob 8 Reales Ph. IV withCOA" is in sale since Friday, December 28, 2018. This item is in the category "Coins & Paper Money\Coins\ World\South America\Bolivia". The seller is "sedwickcoins" and is located in Winter Park, Florida. This item can be shipped to United States.- Circulated/Uncirculated: Circulated
- Composition: Silver
- Denomination: 8 Reales
- Certification: Uncertified
- Modified Item: No
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Bolivia
- Year: 1654