Gold Cobs from the Florida shipwrecks of the 1715 Fleet & other New World wrecks. Spanish Colonial gold and silver coins from Lima, Mexico, Cuzco, Bogotá, Cartagena, and other mints.
 

 

Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Charles II

 

                           FROM THE 1715 PLATE FLEET

a census of 1697/666 H four escudos

 

 

 

       

The State of Florida has a single choice specimen, 11.01264, acquired in the 1966 Division. That Division report is not available to me, but in 1988 Lou Ullian recalled “2 or 3 others were found in the 1965 Season on Douglas Beach.”  No other find of 1697/666 Lima fours is reported or recorded in subsequent Fleet divisions. It appears that all Fleet 1697/666 fours may derive from that 1965 find.

 

Five collectible specimens are known to me, including one non-Fleet coin:

 

  1. 1. Ubilla (1964) lot 133. No C.II. Two large flat spots on the cross side mostly affecting legends. Another flat spot on the pillar side extends up into 7/6 of the date. Luster and surfaces?  Real 8 coin. Sold for $500 in October of 1964. This is probably the worst of the Fleet 1697/666. Never certified.

 

  1. 2. Schulman (1972) lot 575. Bottom of the C.II only. Large flat spot into the upper castle. Another flat spot partly obscuring the 6 of the date. Otherwise well struck. Luster and surfaces? Real 8 coin. Sold for $3200 in November 1972. Never certified.

 

 3.  Ponterio (Jan 2002) lot 907. No C.II. Off-center. VF. Not a Fleet coin. The worst 1697/666. Never certfied.

 

  4. Ponterio (April 2003) lot 363. Bold C.II. Appears well struck with no large flat spots. Luster and surfaces? Probably Fleet but no pedigree. Possibly the best quality 1697/666 but never certified.

 

        5. Cayon (Dec 2008) lot 1472, re-appearing as Ponterio (Jan 2011) lot 586. Bold C.II. No flat spots. Slight doubling affecting 7/6 of the date. Lustrous and mint state, certifed by NGC as “1715 Plate Fleet MS 63”.  The Cayon sale auctioned a magnificent collection of Fleet gold mostly acquired directly from Real 8.