Shipwreck Coins Questions.

Hey, glad to be here. Yes, all of them have been certified as shipwreck coins.

Yes, gold Atocha would be the best, but unfortunately can't afford one.

Thank you @Spence! Yes, if you could move the thread there would be perfect! Thank you!

to CCF

Heritage auctions just recently had a few coins come up from the 1711 Feversham shipwreck. These were old Mexican 8 Reales pieces that had been silver plugged to give them the desired weight for circulation in colonial America!


This example sold for $16,800 I think because it had 4 plugs in it, which is pretty high for coins that get plugged. The 8 reales from this auction sold between $900-$17k. Smaller coins ranged from between $400-$1k.

There could be more valuable shipwreck coins out there, but that's the most valuable one I was able to find.

My collection of the 82s has a few. An unexpected 1782 1R from the SS NY (not too much foreign in that find it seems). And a few from the El Cazadore, a few 1/2 R and 8R thus far. Of the 8R, I have a couple from Lima; which are far more uncommon and it was quite the journey from minting in Peru in 1782 to being aboard that ill-fated ship by January 1784.

From the El Cazadore for 1782, I still need the 1R, 2R, and 4R. 2R are out there, just need to pull the trigger when in the mood. 1R pop up from time to time, but wasn't a higher volume mintage to begin with so are tougher to find. 4R I have simply never seen nor heard exists. I have a heavily worn 4R that has no date just filling the hole.

I feel that the Atocha coins are kinda like Ferrari's. They are high priced because Mel Fisher and family and the marketing team that has handled distribution has done a pretty good job at finding ways to maintain the clout and demand on them. However, a lot of coinage was pulled up, and I personally feel Atocha coins can be overpriced relative to supply even if the market finds buyers still willing to pay up for the name. Sorta like Ferrari... its not a rarity thing...

El Cazador 8R could be found for around $100 a couple years ago before the pandemic. They've inflated a tad, but finding a more common 1883 for under $150 with some patience for a nice piece that has some shipwreck affect but still has good details and luster I think should be feasible. Even a less common 1782. The El Cazador returned some pillar coinage too in other denominations, and those are really pretty designs that can still be affordable. In general, the El Cazador is a solid starting point that will put some nice coins into your collection and not break the bank. Again, they aren't rare, but they are valued accordingly too.

Vcoins is another good place to look.