British Colony. Jose I gold Contemporary Counterfeit "Coconut Wreck" 6400 Reis 1762-R VF, Rio de Janeiro mint, cf. KM172.2 (for prototype). A popular period West Indies imitation with an very scarce pedigree, displaying opaque fields and well-defined motifs. The "Coconut Wreck", sunk off Bermuda c. 1810, has been acknowledged as the deepest treasure wreck ever found, at a depth of 16,300 feet! Located in 1999 when explorers searched for the lost 1961 "Liberty Bell" space capsule, this shipwreck was eventually salvaged with the help of submarines in 2001. Nicknamed the "Piña Colada wreck" and "Atlantic Target Expedition wreck," the wood vessel was loaded with coconuts, hence the name given by Stack's in the original 2008 sale. 1300 silver coins were retrieved from a chest, along with an ornate gold box that contained 13 gold coins wrapped in a newspaper dated August 6, 1809. The example offered is number #6 from the 13 recovered, with original salvors tag. Ex. Stack's Americana Sale (January 2008, Lot 7010)

HID09801242017

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