THESE COBS  ARE  WELL WORN AS IT WAS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS BUT SOME MARKINGS ARE STILL VISIBLE.

COB IS PURE MEXICAN SILVER REALE

COIN SHOWS SHIELD OF HAPSBURG ON ONE SIDE,  THIS COB IS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT AS IT DERIVES FROM A FLEET OF ELEVEN BUT ONLY SIX OF THE SHIPWRECKS HAVE BEEN LOCATED.

THIS AUCTION IS FOR PARCEL 7 PCS AS PER IMAGES

WEIGHT OF PARCEL  26CTS

LARGEST SPECIMEN 22 X 11 X 1 MM

Spanish ships sailed endlessly carrying coins and treasures from the new world to Spain

Many archaeologists equivalent the amount to GNP of many countries and some consider these coins and treasures to be priceless.

From 16^th century Spanish Galleons dominated the seas

Crossing the Atlantic was extremely dangerous due to storms and uncharted rocks

But also other countries targeted these galleons ,especially the ships of England and France

Many of the Caribbean islands had pirates ,many British who attacked these Spanish galleons as they were know to hold incredible wealth

Archaeologists estimate that up to 400 Spanish ships were sunk off Puerto Rico alone and maybe thousand ships sunk of south America

Spanish stories about Eldorado were relevant and many businessmen hired pirates hoping to hit n attack a Spanish galleon loaded with coins and treasures

But many Spanish ship only carried tobacco ,perishable foods also and many pirates had poor results by attacking these ships.

Spain also had reputation of tradable silver coins.

These silver coins were of high standard purity and weight which was rare in these days.

Spain had famous 8 reales silver coin.

It weighed 27.47 grams and was .9305 purity

Spain opened major mints in Mexico city in 1535, Peru, Lima in  1568 ,Potosi in Bolivia in 1575, and Santa Fe De Bogotá Columbia in 1620.

Later, additional mints were located in Guatemala City (from 1733), Santiago, Chile (from 1750), and Popayan, Columbia (from 1758).

These mints produced millions of exact silver reale coins for around 100 years.

Assayers had high importance in hierarchy and many assayers positions were held by political figures as so much power was giving in the importance of their position that the assayer was highly  considered in the Spanish social elite.

These silver reale coins were so popular that many English colonies adapted their currency to them as even England didn’t have such high standard of silver coins for trade.

Spain has an incredible history in regards to conquests and the importance of coinage.

Celtic people moved into present pain around 900 BC

In 600 BC the Greeks landed  and established trading posts on east coast.

Two centuries later Rome conquered Spain and named it Hispania.

Rome s used Spain as military base and produced coinage with emperors Augustus, Tiberius, and Hadrian.

AD 573 ,the Visigoths from Germany conquered Spain and they re produced Byzantine gold coins.

AD711 Moors from Northern Africa invaded Spain and minted Muslim coinage.

Many wars were fought and not till 1400 did Christian control Spain again and minted the Dinero

Spain had been conquered by many nation but in 1469 with marriage of Isabella and united Spain that an Italian merchant Christopher Columbus was hired and the rest is history of our Spain dominated the new world for century.