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SPAIN, FERDINAND VI, 1749 GOLD 4 ESCUDO FROM THE SHIPWRECK OF NUESTRA

SOLD

Code: 10100



Spain, Ferdinand VI, 1749SO J Gold Four Escudos
Santiago mint, Chile
Obverse: Bust of the King facing right, date below, with Latin legend and toothed border surrounding; FERDINANDUS VI D G HISP REX 1749
Reverse: Crowned shield of arms, with Latin legend and toothed border surrounding; NOMINA MAGNA SEQUOR So J
KM#2
Graded and slabbed by NGC as AU 50, With 'Luz' designated on the label.
NGC Certification number: 4439674-001.

*From the Shipwreck Nuestra Senora De La Luz, (Our Lady of Light)
which was lost in 1752.
The Nuestra Senora De La Luz departed from Buenos Aires in the summer of 1752, with a cargo laden with gold and silver coinage bound for mainland Spain.
Whilst anchored off Montevideo, within the estuary of the river Plate,  (Rio De La Plata), Uruguay, for supplies. The ship got blown into the shoreline by an unexpected extreme storm.
This claimed all lives aboard the vessel, and scattered her treasure over a very wide area. Records show that approximately 90 per cent of the ships treasure was recovered shortly afterwards. Although the powder hold was never located, which contained around 200,000 pesos of mainly silver coinage.

This undiscovered treasure stayed hidden on the bed of the river for over 250 years. The shipwreck was eventually rediscovered in April 1992.
Around 800 ‘Portrait’ style coins were salvaged along with 100-150 cross variety cobs, and several gold ingots and disks. Most of the gold coins salvaged were the milled gold eight escudos from the mint of Santiago, Chile. Of these pieces most were eventually auctioned off via Sotheby’s in their New York sale 24-25 March 1993 and in Montevideo, Uruguay, as the treasure was shared with the Uruguay government.