Spanish 1600s 8 Reale Cob Shipwreck Effect

A Coin with a History…But What?!

For collectors of historic coins, the history behind the coins are typically at least as fascinating as the coins themselves. The coins often lack specific dates, but their designs are fairly specific to time periods and locations. This coin, though, offers extra intrigue due to its condition and history. Based on its appearance, this coin almost certainly spent some considerable time at the bottom of the sea… but where? And where was it struck?

GovMint.com was unable to answer these questions due in large part to the vast Spanish Empire in the New World during the 1600s, to which this coin dates. Silver cobs were struck throughout Latin America, with a particularly high number originating in Bolivia, where a mountain of silver was discovered early in the previous century. The coins from there, though, are often indistinguishable from those struck in other parts of the Spanish empire. Further, the countless shipwrecks from the Spanish trading and transportation throughout most of the New World mean that this could have sat at the bottom of just about any part of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea. Stories may be intriguing, but why not take this opportunity to add some mystery to your collection?

• SHIELD AND CROSS DESIGNS – This Cob 8 Reales coin features a pair of designs that were characteristic of the Spanish Empire, a shield and a cross. The shield was a symbol of the country’s military might, while the cross represents its tight connections to the Roman Catholic Church.

• APPROXIMATELY .8 TROY OZ – 8 reales coins were traded throughout the Americas, making it as far as Canada, and most weighed approximately .8 troy oz. of silver.

Most coins in your collection likely have engaging stories that go with them. While they have some mystery to them, it is difficult to match the possibilities of a coin that could have been struck in just about any part of Latin America and sat at the bottom of the sea… somewhere! Like its history, though, this coin is elusive, so why not pick it up today and see if you can figure out something that we couldn’t?