Beschreibung:

SPANISH TREASURE FLEET GOLD BAR.Spanish finger bar, gold, from the 1733 fleet, dated 1659P, 134.5 grams, 125 mm long, approximately 22 carat gold content. With a certification from Treasure Salvors, Inc., stating that the bar came from site C2044 off the Florida Keys, dated December 14, 1988.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, a convoy system was set up to transfer goods between the Colonies and Spain. Manufactured goods were shipped to the colonies, and often the ships on the return voyage were carrying silver and gold. There were numerous shipwrecks during storms, such as those in 1622, 1715, 1733 and 1750. In the 1733 storm, there were 13 known ships that ran aground along the Florida Keys. This bar and the one in the following lot were retrieved by Treasure Salvors, Inc., who famously discovered the wreck of Nuestra Señora de Atocha in 1973. The State of Florida claimed part ownership of all treasure recovered from the ship, resulting in a court battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Treasure Salvors prevailed in 1982 and were awarded the right to all proceeds from the salvaged treasure.