GENUINE SUNKEN TREASURE! AUTHENTIC ‘PIECES OF EIGHT’...
A sensational opportunity for our clients to own genuine ‘sunken treasure’, we have just secured a huge hoard of Spanish shipwreck coins from the Caribbean! With the bulk nature of our acquisition enabling us to drive a hard bargain, we are able to offer these authentic late 18th century Spanish-American Silver 8 Reales at a remarkably low price. Man’s friend and foe in equal parts, the ocean has taken many intrepid seafarers – and their treasure – to its murky depths. Offering a wealth of historical intrigue, and instantly provoking thoughts of disaster and heroism, of fortunes and lives lost, shipwreck coins are always popular with collectors. However, as shipwreck coins are underpinned by a unique historical resonance and are found in limited numbers, they are often too expensive for many people to enjoy. Bucking that trend, we are delighted to be in a position to present genuine, original shipwreck coins at a price that everyone can afford.
discovered in the dangerous waters of the Caribbean, these particular 1770s-1790s ‘Bust’ type Silver 8 Reales are in excellent condition considering the 200+ years spent on the seabed, with generally good detail in the Shield and portrait designs. An irresistible bargain, these authentic shipwreck artefacts represent outstanding value-for-money at less than A$80 apiece. Don’t miss the boat!
Struck at Spain’s colonial Mints in the Americas, the Silver 8 Reales (famously known as ‘Pieces of Eight’, and the coin used for the 1813 Holey Dollar) was the most important international trade coin of the 18th and 19th centuries – accepted across the globe. Secured from several different shipwrecks
A$
79
95
68
US$
1770s-1790s SPANISH-AMERICAN SILVER 8 REALES SHIPWRECK COIN
Bearing the portrait of the King on the obverse, with the Crowned Shield on the reverse, the Spanish-American ‘Bust’ type 8 Reales is struck from 90% silver. Quality and type is naturally variable with shipwreck artefacts.
AR268
The Wreck of the Admiral Gardner… Engulfed by wild winds in the English Channel upon leaving England for India, the Admiral Gardner was swept onto the notorious Goodwin Sands on the 25th of January 1809. Doomed to a watery grave, the East India Company vessel was lost – along with her large cargo of mint state copper 10 and 20 Cash coins. Struck at Matthew Boulton’s Soho Mint – where the 1797 Cartwheel Penny was struck – the 10 and 20 Cash coins carried by the ship were recovered in the mid 1980s. Never
8
having circulated, but showing signs of water wear, each 10 & 20 Cash pair is housed in an informative fullcolour folder.
www.downies.com
ADMIRAL GARDNER 10 & 20 CASH PAIR
A$
6750 58
US$
AF509
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