Spanish Treasure, Pieces of Eight

For everyone who has dreamed of discovering a treasure chest of gold, silver and gemstones - perhaps the loot of a swashbuckling pirate of the Caribbean - take heart because this is the real thing. The irregular shaped Spanish Treasure coins are frequently called "cobs", which is short slang derived from the Spanish "cabo de barra" (end of a bar). These coins were cut from the end of a solid silver or gold bar. With this method of cutting a blank coin, striking it with an image, weighing and refining it to make an accurate weight; the precision and consistency of the weight is truly amazing. The denominations of Spanish coinage are 8, 4, 2, 1, and 1/2 Reale (Silver Coinage), and two 8 Reales were worth the equivalent of 1 Gold Escudo or "Doubloon" (Gold Coinage) meaning double. In addition to the weight of the coin, the most important features to Spanish authorities was the assayer's initial and the mint mark, and an unmistakable cross struck into the detail of the coin. You can read "PLVS ULTRA" which means "More Beyond" between the two pillars, with the waves below, referring to the New world. The pillars symbolize the "Pillars of Hercules" or the Straight of Gibraltar--- so "More beyond the pillars, and the waves (ocean) meaning, the new world, where these coins were struck.