8 reales. Spanish Monarchy. Shipwreck coins. Philip IV (1621-1665). 1651. Potosi. O. ·F· countermark below crown well struck on the obverse, authorizing its circulation at a value of 7 1/2 reales. Recovered from the wreck of “La Capitana”, sunk in 1654 off Chanduy, Ecuador. Slabbed by NGC as VF Details, Sea Salvaged. Special “Shipwreck Blue Label”. The Jesús María de la Limpia Concepción was the capitana of the South Sea Fleet in 1654, and her wreck represented the greatest loss suffered by the Spanish Pacific fleet. Official records reported the loss of 3 million pesos in silver —2,212 ingots, 216 chests of coins, and 22 boxes of wrought silver—, although, including contraband and private consignments, the total may have reached as much as 10 million pesos. The ship, clearly overloaded, ran onto the reefs south of Punta Santa Elena as a result of pilot error. Twenty people died. During the following eight years, Spanish salvagers officially recovered more than 3 million pesos in coins and bullion, although probably much more was recovered off the record. The main person responsible for these operations was Bernardo de Campos, the ship’s own silvermaster and, paradoxically, one of those responsible for overloading her with contraband. The wreck was rediscovered in the mid-1990s and salvaged in 1997. Following the split with the Ecuadorian government in 1998, much of the more than 5,000 coins recovered was sold at auction in 1999. The group consisted almost exclusively of Potosí 8 and 4 reales, including countermarked issues of 1649-1652, transitional issues of 1652, and post-transitional pillars-and-waves cobs of 1653-1654, many of them in excellent condition and carefully conserved. Capitana

Lot description

Shipwreck coins. Philip IV (1621-1665). 8 reales. 1651. Potosi. O. (Cal-1489). Ag. 26,43 g. ·F· countermark below crown well struck on the obverse, authorizing its circulation at a value of 7 1/2 reales.

Recovered from the wreck of “La Capitana”, sunk in 1654 off Chanduy, Ecuador.

Slabbed by NGC as VF Details, Sea Salvaged. Special “Shipwreck Blue Label”.

The Jesús María de la Limpia Concepción was the capitana of the South Sea Fleet in 1654, and her wreck represented the greatest loss suffered by the Spanish Pacific fleet. Official records reported the loss of 3 million pesos in silver —2,212 ingots, 216 chests of coins, and 22 boxes of wrought silver—, although, including contraband and private consignments, the total may have reached as much as 10 million pesos.

The ship, clearly overloaded, ran onto the reefs south of Punta Santa Elena as a result of pilot error. Twenty people died. During the following eight years, Spanish salvagers officially recovered more than 3 million pesos in coins and bullion, although probably much more was recovered off the record. The main person responsible for these operations was Bernardo de Campos, the ship’s own silvermaster and, paradoxically, one of those responsible for overloading her with contraband.

The wreck was rediscovered in the mid-1990s and salvaged in 1997. Following the split with the Ecuadorian government in 1998, much of the more than 5,000 coins recovered was sold at auction in 1999. The group consisted almost exclusively of Potosí 8 and 4 reales, including countermarked issues of 1649-1652, transitional issues of 1652, and post-transitional pillars-and-waves cobs of 1653-1654, many of them in excellent condition and carefully conserved. Est...1500,00.

Starting bid

500 €

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Lot 269 | Spanish Monarchy

Historical Background

Lot description