1652 Potosi 8 Reales 3 Line E-8-E NGC VF Details – Capitana
Item #CC-0046 | 1652 Potosi 8 Reales 3 Line E-8-E NGC VF Details – Capitana
Mint: Potosi, Bolivia
Assayer: “E” Antonio de Elgueta
Ruler/Period: King Philip IV
Grade: VF Details
NGC Serial #: 2863867-003 View Certification Details from NGC here
Description: This is a spectacular 8 reales, a variety which we do not often see, is wonderfully preserved and well struck. The reverse has a visible “52” for the date, clear PHILLIPUS IIII for the king, and an overall remarkable look to the planchet. These 8 reales are vary scare in the collecting world, with examples mostly found on the Capitana and Maravillas wrecks.
The Capitana was a Spanish treasure galleon that sank in 1654 off the coast of Ecuador, near present-day Esmeraldas, while returning to Spain as the flagship of the South Sea Fleet. Laden with enormous quantities of silver and gold from Peru—much of it struck at the Potosí mint—the ship ran aground during a storm while attempting to evade inspections and navigate treacherous coastal waters. The wreck resulted in heavy loss of life and scattered its valuable cargo along the seabed. Spanish salvors recovered a significant portion of the treasure in the years immediately following the disaster, but much remained lost. Centuries later, modern recoveries brought renewed attention to the wreck, particularly because the coins recovered helped expose the infamous Potosí Mint debasement scandal, making the Capitana one of the most historically important shipwrecks tied to Spanish colonial coinage.
In stock
$1,850.00
