Authentic Atocha Sunken Treasure <> Mel Fisher <> Silver from artifact #85A-5871

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rare artifact Own a Piece of Sunken Treasure!! This was recovered from the Spanish shipwreck, Nuestra Senora de Atocha. It comes with the Certificate of Authenticity as shown in the pictures. I remember that display of artifacts from the ATOCHA at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1987. It was Beautiful !!! From the Certificate of Authenticity : "This is to certify that this article contains a portion of silver from artifact #85A-5871 from the Spanish Galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha sunk in 1622 in a raging hurricane after setting sail from Havana, Cuba heading for Spain. She lost 120 persons and her immense treasure lay at the bottom of the sea until discovered by Mel Fisher in 1980 near Key West Florida." BACKGROUND FROM WIKIPEDIA: Nuestra Señora de Atocha ("Our Lady of Atocha") was the most famous of a fleet of Spanish ships that sank in 1622 off the Florida Keys while carrying copper, silver, gold, tobacco, gems, jewels, jewelry, and indigo from Spanish ports at Cartagena and Porto Bella in New Granada and Havana bound for Spain. The ship was named for the parish of Atocha in Madrid. An unfortunate series of complications kept the Atocha in Veracruz before she could rendezvous in Havana with the vessels of the Tierra Firme (Mainland) Fleet. The treasure arriving by mule to Panama City was so immense that summer in 1622 that it took 2 months to record and load the precious cargo on the "Atocha". [1] After still more delays in Havana, what was ultimately a 28-ship convoy did not manage to depart for Spain until September 4, 1622, six weeks behind schedule.On September 6, the Atocha was driven by a severe hurricane onto the coral reefs near the Dry Tortugas, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Key West. With her hull badly damaged, the vessel quickly sank, drowning everyone on board except for three sailors and two slaves.American treasure hunter Mel Fisher and a team of sub-contractors, funded by investors and others, searched for the Atocha for 16 and a half years; Fisher had earlier recovered portions of the wrecked cargo of the sister ship Santa Margarita in 1980. He also proposed the idea to several other potential helpers who were discouraged by the fact that this dangerous professional diving job was at minimum wage unless the ship was found. The Atocha wreck and its mother lode of silver, gold, and emeralds was finally discovered in July 1985. It was Mel's son, Kane, who radioed the news to Treasure Salvors headquarters on the Florida coast, from the salvage boat Dauntless.The salvaged coins, both gold and silver, were minted primarily between 1598 and 1621, although numerous earlier dates were represented too, some of the dates extending well back into the 16th century. Many of the dates and types of the period had been either rare or unknown prior to the salvage of the wreck.After the discovery, the State of Florida claimed title to the wreck and forced Fisher into a contract giving 25% of the found treasure to the state. After eight years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Fisher on July 1, 1982. [3][4] Fisher died on December 19, 1998.In June 2011, treasure divers from Mel Fisher's Treasure found an antique emerald ring believed to be from the Spanish boat. It is said the ring is worth an estimated $500,000. The ring was found 35 miles from Key West, along with two silver spoons and other artifacts. read more

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