Lot 683
Important Artifacts from the Wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. The Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a Spanish ship which sunk off the coast of Florida in 1622 was filled with treasure from the Spanish colonies in America. Loaded with jewelry, gold, silver and tobacco for the Spanish monarch, the ship was driven onto a reef during a hurricane near the Dry Tortugas, 35 miles west of Key West. A severe economic loss to the Spanish crown, salvage efforts were largely a failure - until the American treasure hunter Mel Fisher recovered the treasure in 1985. Since then, the treasure was sold off and is highly prized by collectors as being from one of the most valued shipwrecks ever found. Six of the items salvaged from the shipwreck include: Emerald Ring, silver and partially intact ring, has a chipped green emerald at the center, once flanked by smaller stones. Surely destined for royalty back in Spain; Silver Ring, missing its original stones and partially intact. However, the significance of it being salvaged from the most important treasure bounty ever found cannot be denied; Round Necklace Bead, small bead drilled through for application onto a necklace; Small Brass Buckle, used by a sailor; corroded, but the oval buckle still has the anchor stud for the leather belt that would have been attached; Measure: ¾ x 1"; intact after being on the ocean floor for over 360 years; Large Brass Buckle, engraved and still intact; Measure: 1 x 1½"; some corrosion but overall fine; Rolled Piece of Brass, a point of a staff, most likely attached to the end of a wooden staff carried by one of the troops on board; Length: 2¼"; An excellent example of treasure recoved after hundreds of years buried at sea.
Estimated Value $400 - 500.
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| Realized $467 |
