Atocha, sunk in 1622 west of Key West, Florida
298. Colombian cut gold “finger” bar from the Atocha (1622), 331.3 grams, 21-1/2K, marked with owner/foundry “EN
RADA” (Peña-Randa), plated in Treasure of the Atocha. 6-1/4” long, about 1” wide and 1/4” thick. Typically flat bar with five partial tax stamps (circular sections with • borders), three fineness markings (each XXI with two dots below), and one full owner/foundry mark, all nicely contrasting with toning in crevices and some black encrustation, the cut end very neatly sliced with no other clips, an impressively marked example with a very manageable amount of intrinsic value, also desirable as pedigreed to the main book about the Atocha by Duncan Mathewson. From the Atocha (1622), with Fisher photo-certificate #551 (pre-1980), and featured (before cleaning, encrusted with chain and another bar) on page C-7 of Mathewson’s book Treasure of the Atocha (1986). Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.
299. Small, cut gold “finger” ingot from the Atocha
(1622), 128.7 grams. 3” long, about 27/32” wide and 1/4” thick. Flat “thumb” of a typical “finger” bar, with three
partial tax stamps (circular sections with • borders) but no markings for fineness or owner/foundry, stamped “86 3” on bottom by salvagers, no encrustation but nicely toned all over. From the Atocha (1622), with Fisher certificate #86A-0707-2. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000.
90