Denomination: 8 Reales
Reign: Philip III
Mint: Potosi
Assayer: Not visible
Weight: 22.7g
Grade: Two (2)
Description: This coin was recovered from the Spanish shipwreck, Nuestra Señora de Atocha.
On September 6, 1622, the heavily laden trasure galleon of King Philip IV's Tierre Firme Fleet struck a reef and sank in a raging hurricane near the Florida Keys. More than two hundred and sixty people perished and tons of gold, silver, and other precious cargo was lost to the sea. All attempts to find the shipwreck failed until July 20, 1985.
Most of the coins recovered from the Atocha were minted in the New World and usually have irregular shapes. They were manufactured by cutting coin blanks from crudely cast bars of refined silver bullion. Then they were clipped to the requisite weight, heated, and hand-hammered between crudely engraved dies. The rough surface and irregular circumference of the blanks prevented well-defined strikes; consequently, the legends are frequently missing or only partially visible. The Spanish authorities were unconcerned with the shape of the coins or visible dates. The important features were the assayer's mark and the mintmark as these guaranteed the fineness of the bullion and the proper weight. The penalty for not showing these marks was severe.
Coins of Philip II (1556 to 1598) and Philip III (1598 to 1621) bear a simplified Hapsburg Shield on the obverse. The legend, if complete, reads, "PHILIPPVS II (III) DEI GRACIA HISPANIARVM,": "Philip II (III) By the Grace of God." The reverse has a cross with castles and lions in the quarters. The legend reads, "ET INDIARUM REX": "King of Spain, and the Indies."
