LOT / TREASURE, WORLD & U.S. COIN AUCTION #14 / Gold "dragon whistle" (captain-general...

1064

Gold "dragon whistle" (captain-general's badge of office), extremely rare and important.

Currency:USD Category:Artifacts / Shipwreck Artifacts Start Price:25,000.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD

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This item SOLD at 2013 Oct 30 @ 21:27UTC-4 : AST/EDT

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Gold "dragon whistle" (captain-general's badge of office), extremely rare and important. 64.15 grams, about 2-7/8" long. The Spanish Fleets of 1715 and 1733 were major disasters primarily because they were full, combined fleets, commanded by Spain's top naval admirals (aboard the Almirantas) and captains-general (aboard the Capitanas), presumably all of whom were issued special whistles like this one, each crafted by Chinese artisans to look like a dragon with a long, slightly curved body with pointy tail terminating in a tiny scoop (for cleaning ears) and with long, scalloped fin at top hiding a pointed blade (for picking teeth) that has shifted slightly to cover the hole for hanging, the mouth and chin of the dragon open for use as a whistle to call hands on deck (we surmise). We know of two that were found on the 1715 Fleet: one with complete chain that was found in 1962 on the beach opposite the "Cabin wreck" site (believed to be the Capitana) and sold by Parke-Bernet Galleries (New York) in 1967 for $50,000 (plus fees) and later offered by Sotheby's (New York) in 1993 for $75,000-$100,000 (unsold then but ultimately selling privately in six figures); and a second one whose recovery and ownership are mysterious but that was on display in a museum in the Keys as late as the 1990s. From the 1733 Fleet, however, we know of only this one example, now making its first appearance on the open market, that is reportedly also a beach find, from 1986, in the vicinity of Plantation Key, documented in Plus Ultra as from El Infante but in our opinion more likely from the Capitana El Rubi and lost on the beach after the disaster in either case. This piece appears to be fully intact, although the toothpick fin is frozen in place and encrustation inside makes it impossible to whistle, still very intriguing in appearance and important as one of only three documented specimens (with rumors of a couple more), straight off the necks of the captains of the most famous Spanish fleets of all time. From El Infante of the 1733 Fleet, featured (with photo) in Vol. 13 No. 3 (3rd quarter 1995) of Plus Ultra Newsletter. Recovered from: Spanish 1733 Fleet, Florida Keys with Photo certificate. Taxes:

Tax	Rate	Desc.
FSTA	6.75%	Florida Sales Tax - Alachua
FSTB	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Baker
FSTB	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Bay
FSTB	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Bradford
FSTB	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Brevard
FSTB	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Broward
FSTC	7.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Calhoun
FSTC	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Charlotte
FSTC	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Citrus
FSTC	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Clay
FSTC	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Collier
FSTC	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Columbia
FSTD	7%	Florida Sales Tax - De Soto
FSTD	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Dixie
FSTD	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Duval
FSTE	7.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Escambia
FSTF	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Flagler
FSTF	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Franklin
FSTG	7.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Gadsden
FSTG	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Gilchrist
FSTG	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Glades
FSTG	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Gulf
FSTH	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Hamilton
FSTH	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Hardee
FSTH	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Hendry
FSTH	6.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Hernando
FSTH	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Highlands
FSTH	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Hillsborough
FSTH	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Holmes
FSTI	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Indian River
FSTJ	7.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Jackson
FSTJ	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Jefferson
FSTJ	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Lafayette
FSTL	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Lake
FSTL	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Lee
FSTL	7.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Leon
FSTL	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Levy
FSTL	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Liberty
FSTM	7.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Madison
FSTM	6.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Manatee
FSTM	6.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Marion
FSTM	6.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Martin
FSTM	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Miami-Dade
FSTM	7.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Monroe
FSTN	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Nassau
FSTO	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Okaloosa
FSTO	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Okeechobee
FSTO	6.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Orange
FSTO	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Osceola
FSTP	6.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Palm Beach
FSTP	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Pasco
FSTP	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Pinellas
FSTP	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Polk
FSTP	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Putnam
FSTS	6%	Florida Sales Tax - Saint Johns
FSTS	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Santa Rosa
FSTS	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Seminole
FSTS	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Sumter
FSTS	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Suwannee
FSTT	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Taylor
FSTU	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Union
FSTV	6.5%	Florida Sales Tax - Volusia
FSTW	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Wakulla
FSTW	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Walton
FSTW	7%	Florida Sales Tax - Washington

Buyer's Premiums:

From (Incl.)	To (Excl.)	Premium
0.00	Infinite	17.5%

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This lot is part of the auction: TREASURE, WORLD & U.S. COIN AUCTION #14 Back To Catalog Listing

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From (Incl.)	To (Excl.)	Increment
0.00	50.00	2.00
50.00	100.00	5.00
100.00	200.00	10.00
200.00	300.00	20.00
300.00	500.00	25.00
500.00	1,000.00	50.00
1,000.00	2,000.00	100.00
2,000.00	3,000.00	200.00
3,000.00	5,000.00	250.00
5,000.00	10,000.00	500.00
10,000.00	20,000.00	1,000.00
20,000.00	30,000.00	2,000.00
30,000.00	Infinite	2,500.00

LOT / TREASURE, WORLD & U.S. COIN AUCTION #14 / Gold "dragon whistle" (captain-general...

Gold "dragon whistle" (captain-general's badge of office), extremely rare and important.

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