Collection: Atocha Coins Framed

The story of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha shipwreck is a tale of tragedy and treasure. Built in Havana in 1620, the Atocha was a massive Spanish galleon that served as the rear guard of the Tierra Firme Fleet, safeguarding the riches of the Spanish Empire from the New World. The Atocha alone carried cargo whose estimates range between $250 and $500 million, including silver from Bolivia, Peru and Mexico, gold and emeralds from Colombia, and pearls from Venezuela, as well as more common goods including worked silverware, tobacco, and bronze cannons. Overtaken by a hurricane, by the morning of 6 September, eight of the ships had sunk and their remains lay scattered from Marquesas Key to Dry Tortugas,  The Nuestra Señora de Atocha had lost all of her 265 crew and passengers except for three sailors and two slaves, who survived by clinging to the mizzenmast. For over three centuries, the Atocha lay lost beneath the waves until 1985, when treasure hunter Mel Fisher and his team uncovered the wreck.