Spanish Treasure

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. Spanish Conquistadors and Missionaries flocked to the Americas in search of wealth or in hopes of spreading the Gospel in the New World. Most of the mineral wealth they could gather was melted and turned into coins, which were struck, loaded onto ships, and sent across the Atlantic Ocean to the King of Spain. Because of the haste from mine to mint, shipping, and the crudity of the technology of the times, the details on Spanish coins are rarely clear. These historic coins are known to collectors as "cobs" an abbreviation of the Spanish term: "Cabo de Barra", meaning cut from the end of a bar. This particular coin features the cruz florenzada, or "flowered cross", which was only used by the Mexico mint on its silver coins. The cross has raised circular dots attached to the ends of the cross which are meant to look like a Fleur-se-lis.