Spanish Silver 'Piece of Eight' / 8 Reales from 'Association' shipwreck

Spanish Dollar / Piece of Eight from English Flagship 'Association'

This coin dates from c. 1690 and was recovered from the wrecksite of the English Flagship 'Association', sunk 1707 off the Isles of Scilly.

Silver, 24.12g, 35mm diameter

The sinking of this ship and four others in a fleet of 21 returning from the Mediterranean was one of the worst British naval disasters of all time. The Association sank on October 22 1707 under stormy conditions after what can only be described as guesswork navigation that led the ships straight onto the rocks of the Scilly Isles, where as many as 2,000 sailors lost their lives as a result. The admiral of the fleet, Sir Cloudisley Shovell, whose ten chests of personal wealth (in addition to several others) were rumoured to be aboard the Association, was one of the casualties of the sinking, although legend has it he reached shore alive, only to be murdered there by a local woman for a ring on his finger.

The wrecksite was located in 1967 by British Navy divers, sparking off a frenzy of activity on the site for years to come. Cannons and a few coins were raised in the 1960s, but it was not till 1973 that a significant amount of coins were found (8,000 in that year alone). These coins, mostly British silver and gold but also many Spanish and Spanish-American silver cobs, were sold at auction beginning in 1969 and into the early 1970s. The cobs presented an eclectic mix, mostly 8 reales from the 1650s forward (even a “Royal” presentation issue from 1676), but from nearly all mints (especially Lima and Potosí), some even left in as-found conglomerate form combined with British coins. It is interesting to note that parts of this wreck, like others in the area, were flattened hard to the muddy sea floor by huge boulders that still roll around with the currents, making for dangerous and difficult salvage.

Includes Certificate of Origin: