April 2012 Treasure of the Month

Without the recoveries from the 1715 Fleet, our knowledge of Carlos II (1666-1700) Lima escudos would be minimal and fragmentary. Here is a great example. Before 1964 no Lima four escudos were known for most years of Carlos II’s reign, including 1697. Then, in July 1964, the Real Eight CompanyAlso referred to occasionally as “The Real 8 Company”- was incorporated in 1961. It had eight members….Kip Wagner, Kip Kelso, Dan Thompson, Harry Cannon, Lou Ullian, Del Long, Erv Taylor and Lis... found this media onza (four escudos) on Douglass Beach. Not only is it a 1697, but a 1697 over 1666 die (by mistake of course). In 1697 the same Lima die cutters realized their mistake and corrected the unused 1666 die to 1697. They then used the 1697/666 die to strike most of the exiguous issue of 1697 media onzas.