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Large clump of 25+ silver cobs encrusted onto a ballast stone, plus smaller stone with single coin,

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Shipwreck - Silver Coins 1500s-1650s Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
Large clump of 25+ silver cobs encrusted onto a ballast stone, plus smaller stone with single coin,
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This item SOLD at 2018 Nov 02 @ 14:17UTC-4 : AST/EDT
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Large clump of 25+ silver cobs encrusted onto a ballast stone, plus smaller stone with single coin, with original certificate. 2442 grams total; roughly 7" x 4-1/2" x 4". It is astounding that something like this exists, as very few Atocha coins were left in clumps, and this may be the only large one we have ever seen with original Fisher certification. No doubt the Fisher people saw this piece for the unique display that it is and left it intact for a very special investor--indeed the photo-certificate says simply BALLAST W/COIN. The bulk of it is a partial ballast stone (whitish gray), with about 35% of its surface exposed but the rest coated with black coins (some look solid) inside gray-white cocoons of encrustation, mostly stable but with one small side-clump (attached to another, much smaller ballast-stone fragment) a bit loose but not broken off yet (unlike other pieces that we surmise were removed, based on the certificate photo, which lacks a weight or number of coins), in addition to a loose rock (also gray) with a single, encrusted 8 reales flatly attached. For sure this is one of the most impressive artifacts we have seen from the Atocha, certainly the largest clump in any case. (We recommend pickup only for this lot, as shipping cannot guarantee its stability.) With Fisher photo-certificate #85A-A327 showing the clump as found. Recovered from: Atocha, sunk in 1622 west of Key West, Florida