£30,500
A Philip III Posthumous Gold Cob 2 Escudos 1622 SF. .
Commonly hailed as the first gold coin of the Americas, the preparations for the issue were provided for by Philip III's 25 May 1620 directive to establish a new mint in Colombia (either at Cartagena or Bogota), though dies were not produced until 1622 under the 1620 authorization, one year after Philip's death. This was a full 57 years before the minting of a similar issue at Mexico City (1679) and 76 years prior to that of the Lima mint (1696). Eager to impress the governor of Nueva Granada and the Audiencia of Santa Fe, following his arrival in mid-1621, Alonso Turrillo struck a small series of purportedly "trial" pieces with the new dies, likely meant to be transported to Spain for royal approval from Philip IV aboard the fleet that included the Santa Margarita and Nuestra Señora de Atocha. The wrecking of both vessels, however, meant that these pieces were largely lost to history for over three centuries, until the treasures of these wrecks were recovered by Mel Fisher's Treasure Salvors, Inc. in the 1980s.
This is the 9th and most recently 'discovered' example. It was bought by the vendor on a holiday to Florida from the salvor and has its original certificate. In comparison to the other examples this probably grades within the top three.
1) The Eldorado specimen (Stack's Bowers January 2018, Lot 11004); Purchased from Kurt Spanier in August 1982 = Oro Macuquino-74 Plate Coin = ORC-794 Plate Coin. Certified AU58 by PCGS. Blanton #1
2) The Sedwick specimen. Illustrated on pg. 127 of the fourth edition of The Practical Book of Cobs. Blanton #2.
3) Christie's (June 1988, Lot 113). Blanton #3
4) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation specimen. Donated by the Lasser Family (Accession no. 2010-63, 111). Blanton #5
5) The Danny Lee specimen. Ponterio & Associates Auction 124 (January 2003, Lot 1237); Recovered from the Santa Margarita. Blanton #6
6) Ponterio & Associates Auction 146 (April 2008, Lot 146); Recovered from the Atocha. Blanton #7
7) Sedwick Auction 24 (November 2018, Lot 59); Sedwick Auction 6 (October 2009, Lot 41); Sedwick Auction 3 (May 2008, Lot 23); Recovered from the Santa Margarita (Fischer certificate #178-M-80) = Oro Macuquino-74a Plate Coin = ORC-794 Plate Coin. Illustrated on pg. 30 of Jorge Ortiz Murias' new book Las Monedas que Circularon en la Capitanía General de Puerto Rico. Blanton #8
8) The Finest Known Survivor of this Legendary First Gold Coin Produced in the Americas - Ex. Norweb & Ortiz
Direct from the salvor c. 1983.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Room and Absentee Bids:
25% inc VAT*
Online and Autobids:
28.6% inc VAT*
