The 1715 Treasure of the Month for April 2015 is this attractive, well-struck two escudos from the Colombian mint at Santa Fe de Bogotá. This coin is a recent discovery, found at the Corrigan’s Wreck Site in July of 2013. At that time a small group of Santa Fe escudos was found by Queens Jewels, LLC.
The obverse of this coin is exceptional for its centering and nearly complete shield. Likewise, the reverse has a full cross and almost complete tressure. Although not dated, this coin was struck early in the reign of Philip V as part of a curious series known as the Posthumous Issues of Charles II. Though Charles II died in 1700, Santa Fe for some reason continued to strike gold in his name through 1713. By style, we know that this two escudos was struck about 1710.
The certificate of authenticity that accompanies this coin indicates a weight of 6.8 g and notes the discovery as Corrigan’s.
Video and News Stories
The following news stories discuss the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the Treasure of the Month featured above
