Authentic Pirate Coin from the Santa Maria de la Consolación Shipwreck
Behold, a rare and remarkable treasure—an actual pirate coin salvaged from the depths of history, from the shipwreck of the Santa Maria de la Consolación. This Spanish galleon, laden with silver "pieces of eight" and gold coins, met its fateful end in 1681, making this coin a tangible link to the dramatic maritime history of centuries past.
The ill-fated journey of the Santa Maria de la Consolación began as she sailed alone along the treacherous West Coast of South America, bound for Panama. Such a solitary voyage was unusual for a Spanish vessel of her time, lacking the protection of a fleet. It was precisely this vulnerability that caught the attention of Bartholomew Sharpe, a British pirate scouring the Atlantic waters off the coast of Ecuador. Sharpe recognized the galleon's significance—an imminent return to Spain, her holds teeming with treasure.
In hot pursuit, the pirate ship closed in on the Consolación. Realizing they could not outrun Sharpe and his marauding crew, the desperate crew and passengers made a fateful decision: they abandoned ship, setting her ablaze before retreating, with the hope of safeguarding their valuable cargo from the pirates.
Their efforts were in vain, as Sharpe and his crew, in a fit of fury, mercilessly slew all surviving crew members before they could reach the shores of Santa Clara Island—a grim moniker earned as it became the final resting place for those unfortunate souls. Sharpe's attempts to recover the sunken treasure met insurmountable challenges, as the Spaniards had underestimated the depths of the sea.
The treasure lay undisturbed on the ocean floor for over three centuries until its remarkable discovery in 1997. This coin, bearing the marks of time and history, is a testament to those daring times and the resilient spirit of seafarers.
To honor this invaluable relic, we've meticulously crafted an 18K rose gold bezel by hand, enveloping the coin in a setting that befits its significance. Suspended from an 18-inch chain of the same exquisite rose gold, the coin and its setting are approximately the size of a nickel coin.
Each coin comes with a signed authenticity card, attesting to its remarkable journey through time. This piece of history is not just a collector's item but a tangible connection to a bygone era of seafaring adventures, lost treasures, and the enduring allure of pirate legends.
