Owner Comments:
DISCRIPTION
Date: 1556-1598
RULER: Phillip II
ASSAYER: Unknown
WEIGHT:23.5g.
Recovered from an unknown shipwreck off the coast of Cornwall England in 1975.
A choice specimen. Gorgeous, bold, full detail all over. A perfect cross and shield beautifully centered, all nicely toned and with only minimal corrosion. Minted in Granada, Spain, Assayer "M". Well rounded flan with full cross and tressure as well as full shield and crown, showing exceptional detail all over. Large Arabic "G" to the left of shield, and roman numerals (IIII) to the right.
The coin is minimally corroded, has full features, and is beautifully toned. The condition of this coin is very rare for a Rill Cove coin because there were about 3,000 or so coins that were salvaged and eventually sold before the site off the English coast was declared "protected". In addition, the sheer metric tonnage of soil and sand that flows in and out of the Rill Cove area every day means that all salvaged coins were heavily marred and corroded, with many being completely unreadable.
THE SHIPWRECK
This unknown ship is known by two nicknames either the "Rill Cove Wreck" or the "Lizard Silver Wreck" pertaining to the location of the wreck off the coast of Cornwall England. Neither the name or the nationality of the ship is known and even the date of the sinking is not certain. All we do know is that records of it's local salvage began in 1618. After rediscovery of the wreck by Ken Simpson and Mike Hall in 1975, eventually some 3,000 coins were recovered and sold, all silver cobs, mostly Mexican but also some from Potosi and Spain. Most of the coins are thin from corrosion but with dark toning on fields that enhance details.