9643

A large silver ingot from the Atocha shipwreck.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
A large silver ingot from the Atocha shipwreck.
<table><tr><td><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY> <TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%" bgColor=#79735c><FONT face=arial color=#ffffff size=3><B>Description</B> </FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff><FONT face=arial size=2><B>A large silver ingot from the Atocha shipwreck.</B></I> The ingot weighs 87 troy pounds with a fineness marking of 2380/2400. It is 38.6 cm long, 12.5 cm wide, and 6.8 cm in height. A Certificate of Authenticity from Treasure Salvors, Inc. with serial number 85A-S590 is included. The ingot has moderate corrosion from its several centuries spent on the ocean floor, and one end of the ingot has a relatively deep cut. The Nuestra Senora de Atocha of the Tierre Firme Fleet was built in Havana, Cuba, in 1620. En route to Spain and laden with treasure, the ship encountered a hurricane on September 4, 1622, and sank some twenty miles from Key West. A recovery effort led by Mel Fisher located the shipwreck on July 20, 1985, and similar ingots have been sold in the $19,000 range by firms associated with the recovery.<BR>This ingot has an unusual pedigree. It was seized by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from Thomas Ruck, who was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison on September 2002. Ruck was a cocaine smuggler for the infamous Columbian Cali cartel, and his life as a fugitive ended upon his arrest in October, 2001. Ruck's illicitly obtained spoils, which included a 1989 Ferrari Testarossa and a million dollars worth of coins and sunken treasure, were sold at auction by the ICE earlier this year. </FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><A name=PricesRealized></A><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%" bgColor=#79735c><A name=PR><FONT face=arial color=#ffffff size=3><B>Previous Prices from Heritage Auctions</B> </FONT></A></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#f6f6ed>No Prior Data Recorded </TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff><FONT face=arial size=1 ?>PLEASE NOTE: All prices realized reflect the final hammer price PLUS the buyer's premium in auctions that charge a buyer's premium. Each item has a notation at the top of the listing indicating whether that lot included a buyer's premium. Example: A item that sells with a final hammer price of $100 and a 20% buyer's premium will display with a price realized of $120. All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. Please use this guide carefully and inform us of any inaccuracies. </FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%" bgColor=#79735c colSpan=6><FONT face=arial color=#ffffff size=3><B>Price Guide*</B> </FONT></TD></TR><TR bgColor=#f6f6ed><TD align=middle><B>Grade</B> </TD><TD align=middle><B>Coin World<BR>(Trends)</B> </TD><TD align=middle><B>Numismedia<BR>Retail</B> </TD><TD align=middle><B>Numismedia<BR>Wholesale</B> </TD><TD align=middle><B>Coin<BR>Universe</B> </TD><TD align=middle><B>Heritage<BR>Value Index</B> </TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD align=middle>15</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD></TR><TR style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" bgColor=#cccfdd><TD align=middle>20</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD align=middle>25</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD><TD align=right>---</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD colSpan=6><FONT size=1>*All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. No item may be returned or refused based on this information which is provided as a service to our customers. You should contact each pricing source directly to determine the accuracy of this information. </FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%" bgColor=#79735c><FONT face=arial color=#ffffff size=3><B>Population Guide</B> </FONT></TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD align=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR> Important notice: Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>