| Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC > Treasure Auction 35 | Auction date: 7 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 107 Price realized: 16,000 USD (Approx. 14,845 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Large silver "piña" ingot, 5335 grams, XRF tested at 99% silver, rare, ex-Atocha (1622). 7-1/4" tall, 3-1/2" to 5-1/2" in diameter, with 2-1/2" cylindrical hole in center. This is only the third ingot of this type that we have seen from the Atocha in a class known as "piñas" for their cored-pineapple shape, at least compared to the giant rectangular ingots that were recovered by the hundreds from this wreck. The "patio" refining process, invented in Mexico in the mid-1500s by Bartolome de Medina, was a method for separating silver from its ore by amalgamation with mercury (quicksilver), and describes these "piña" ingots as the final step where the silver was heated in bell-shaped molds with central rods. At that point, most of these ingots were melted down into typical, big, rectangular ingots and sent to the mint for coining; but since the mine owners usually needed money right away, some "piñas" were sold directly from the mine, which had to be the case here because neither end shows any markings, specifically fineness and tax stamps. The surfaces are not overly corroded, just a nice even silver color, also not rated for Class Factor by Treasure Salvors like the big bars. From the Atocha (1622), with original Fisher plastic tag and photo-certificate 85A-0507-2. Estimate: $15000 - $30000 |  |
