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Large Potosi silver ingot 775 from the Atocha (1622), 79 lb 11.36 oz troy, Class Factor 1.0, marked

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Shipwreck Ingots Start Price:30,000.00 USD Estimated At:35,000.00 - 70,000.00 USD
Large Potosi silver ingot 775 from the Atocha (1622), 79 lb 11.36 oz troy, Class Factor 1.0, marked
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Large Potosi silver ingot 775 from the Atocha (1622), 79 lb 11.36 oz troy, Class Factor 1.0, marked with foundry/date Po1622, fineness IIUCCCLXXX (2380/2400, 99.16% fine), assayer MEXIA, manifest number IUCXXV (1125), tax stamps and serial-mark A. 14" x 5-1/2" x 3". A very well-marked example of a typical "loaf" of Atocha silver, the top showing bold full foundry/date cartouche Po1622 to the left of a bold incuse IUCXXV for the manifest number, below which is a nearly full circular tax stamp and the double-scoop assayer's "bite," and below that the lengthy fineness rendered in eight separate boxes to left of large cartouche of assayer Mexia (hard to read but all there), with a couple other partial tax stamps across the surface as well. Prominent also are some tally marks IV and IIII at the right end, plus a bold A-stamp toward the left, the latter indicative of a mysterious series of Atocha bars that all apparently lack owner/shipper marks and a diagonal slash for the averia (shipping tax), hence possibly earmarked for the crown or church. Significantly, this bar also shows three stamps on the bottom (a very rare occurrence) that appear to consist of a large crown in an oval indent over TOSI in a rectangular indent (the first syllable, PO-, probably hidden in between), first we have seen of this mark. From the Atocha (1622), with original Fisher photo-certificate 85A-S775.