Owner Comments:
DESCRIPTION
Date: 1679
RULER: Charles II
ASSAYER: Not Visible
WEIGHT: 22.3g
This is an 8 Reales Spanish cob coin with a 2-digit date on the obverse and another partial date on the reverse. It is in good shape with very little thinning from its 300 year exposure.
OBVERSE: A centered cross with clear castles and lions and a bold two-digit date (79), mintmark (P) and a partial denomination (8).
REVERSE: Centered clear pillars and waves, one bold mintmark (P) and a bold denomination (8). It also has a partial date (the 7 is clear) as well as part of the motto PLVS VLTRA (More Beyond). This coin was minted at Potosi, in 1679 during the reign of King Charles II of Spain.
THE 1681 SHIPWRECK OF THE SPANISH GALLEON CONSOLACION
In the spring of 1681, the small galleon Santa Maria de la Concolacion left Callao for Panama. She was part of the Armada del Mar del Sur but it had left without her because she had been delayed over a month off the port of Arica waiting for the arrival of her cargo of freshly minted Spanish coins and iron commodities from Europe. Her Captain and crew were now faced with sailing the roughly 2,000 miles of pirate infested waters alone.
The Consolacion was only a small private galleon of about 440 tons. She carried 26 bronze and iron cannon and her Captain was Juan de Lerma. Her cargo consisted of 146,000 pesos in silver coins, 327 large and 479 small silver bars, and gold "tejos" (small bars) worth 34,000 pesos. She also carried dozens of chests of tightly packed mule shoes, nails for the mule shoes, copper, tin and lead ingots, bronze religious medallions and other goods of value.
While approaching the small island of Santa Clara or El Muerto, the crew spotted sails in the distance and attempted to hide behind the island. The ship was caught in the swift currents and hit a reef rupturing her hull. The Captain immediately ordered heavy items thrown overboard, and as the pirates approached, he ordered the ship set afire and the crew to abandon ship and seek refuge on the island.
The English pirates, led by Bartholomew Sharp, captured two of her crew and were so furious when they learned of the treasure they had been deprived of they beheaded the crew. They tried in vain to recover the treasure through the efforts of local fishermen. Spanish attempts later were also fruitless. The wreck was soon forgotten and covered by sand, it lay buried on the reef for over 300 years.
A shipwreck was discovered by ROBCAR in 1997 and shortly after, marine archeologist Robert Marx discovered documents and a ship's manifest in the archives of Spain that identified the wreck as Consolacion.