SPANISH COLONIAL EMPIRE - VICEROYALTY OF PERU (1542-1824) - CAPTAINCY GENERAL OF CHILE (1541-1818)
REIGN OF FERDINAND VI "THE LEARNED" (1746-1759) - HOUSE OF BOURBON
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1751 GOLD EIGHT ESCUDOS CERTIFIED BY NGC MINT STATE 64
SALVAGED FROM THE 1752 SHIPWRECK OF THE TREASURE SHIP NUESTRA SEÑORA de la LUZ
OBV: ARMORED AND DRAPED PORTRAIT BUST OF FERDINAND VI RIGHT; DATE BELOW FLANKED BY ROSETTES.
REV: CROWNED ROYAL SHIELD OF ARMS OF BOURBON SPAIN ENCIRCLED BY THE COLLAR OF THE CHIVALRIC ORDER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE WITH THE ORDER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SUSPENDED BENEATH; MINTMARK AND MINTMASTER INITIAL LEFT AND RIGHT DIVIDED BY ORDER AND FLANKED BY ROSETTES.
KM # 3
THE PORTUGUESE SHIP NUESTRA SEÑORA de la LUZ, WAS LEASED IN 1752 TO THE SPANISH COLONIAL AUTHORITIES TO CARRY TREASURE FROM THE NEW WORLD TO SPAIN. THE SHIP LEFT BUENOS AIRES LADEN WITH GOLD AND SILVER COINS, STOPPING FOR PROVISIONS IN MONTEVIDEO (NOW CAPITAL OF URUGUAY), WHICH HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN 1726 BY THE SPANISH TO CURB PORTUGUESE CLAIMS TO THE PLATINE REGION, OR RÍO de la PLATA BASIN.
WHILE AT ANCHOR, A STRONG STORM MOVED IN AND THE HEAVILY BURDENED SHIP WAS SWEPT INTO THE COASTLINE OF AN ESTUARY OF THE RIVER PLATE, KILLING ALL HANDS ONBOARD AND SPREADING WRECKAGE OVER A VAST AREA.
NINETY PERCENT OF THE TREASURE WAS CONTEMPORARILY SAVAGED THEREAFTER, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL 1992 THAT THE REMAINING WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED AND A SALVAGE EFFORT UNDERTAKEN. ACCORDING TO ACCOUNTS, THE POWDER HOLD OF THE SHIP HAD NEVER BEEN DISCOVERED, AND THAT IS WHERE 230,000 PESOS IN COIN, ALL CONTRABAND, HAD BEEN HIDDEN ABAORD THE DOOMED SHIP.
THE GOLD COINS RECOVERED FROM THE 1992/93 SALVAGE OPERATIONS WERE "PRISTINE" AND PRESERVED IN REMARKABLE CONDITION. 800 GOLD MILLED BUST 8 AND 4 ESCUDOS, MINTED AT THE THEN NEWLY ESTABLISHED MINT AT SANTIAGO AND DATED 1751, WERE RECOVERED. OTHER GOLD AND SILVER COINS OF VARYING DATES AND MINTS, GOLD INGOTS AND PRECIOUS JEWELLED OBJECTS WERE ALSO FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.
CONTAINS 27.0730 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (.7982 OZ AGW)
SANTIAGO MINT
MINTMASTER JOSÉ LARRANETA (1749-1767)
