Charles III "El Cazador" 2 Reales 1783 Mo-FF AU (Saltwater Effect, Mounted), Mexico City mint, KM88.2, Cal-673. 5.6gm. Total weight: 8.11gm. Salvaged from the "El Cazador" (sunk in 1784 off Louisiana). Mounted in 14k gold. Considered by many as the ship that changed US History, the El Cazador was one of Charles III's last efforts to restore the economy of his North American colony: Louisiana. The ship was loaded in Veracruz with approximately 450,000 Pesos in value, broken in 8 Reales and its fractions--most coins struck in 1783 at the Mexico City mint--though older dates were also recovered from the wreck. The ship sailed to New Orleans on January 11th, 1784, never to be heard from again. Frustrated with the great loss, Charles III abandoned efforts to invest in the colony, one of which during the Napoleonic Era in Spain would be sold off by Napoleon himself to fund his efforts against Great Britain. The territory was acquired in 1803 by James Monroe, tasked by Thomas Jefferson, for the amount of $15 million (equivalent to about $337 million in 21st century currency), almost doubling in size and changing the United States territory forever. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

To the auctioneer's website