My collecting interests at times can be fairly random. I like coins that have interesting stories. A couple shipwreck coins caught my eye and I finally managed to get my hands on a 1 Real from El Cazador. As much as I enjoy handling my coins I thought it may be best to pay the extra little bit for an NGC certified coin to ensure it was genuine. I grabbed the picture off the NGC website since my tablet does not take the best pictures. It isn't in the best condition but I am extremely pleased. Next up is an Admiral Gardner piece and then after that I am thinking of trying to track down a Leprosarium piece. Does anyone else have interest in these types of coins?
Yes, I bought one very similar to that for my brother-in-law. I have a small collection of pieces of eight, including a cob. The more I read about the Spanish Milled Dollar, the more interesting it got. The coin has SOOOOO much history wrrapped up in it, even the non-shipwreck coins. Let me back up and start at the beginning... Years ago, my brother-in-law had an old wooden yatch called "Pieces" short for "Pieces of Eight." It had a diesel engine and no mast, but it was a cool old boat. Pieces was done in by one of the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast. Even though I didn't really get to go on Pieces much, I missed the old boat and I'm sure my BIL missed it even more. So I thought: "It might be nice if I got him a Piece of Eight as a momento of his boat." So I started looking for Pieces of Eight, and I as I looked I read about them. To make a long story short, I ended up getting him a certified shipwreck Piece of Eight like yours, and also another Piece of Eight in pretty good shape along with a couple of cut bits all in a miniature pirate's chest. (I should mention that his favorite hangout to go to in Pieces was called "Pirate's Cove.") I presented it to him at my parents' house not long ago, and made him sit through a history lesson about Pieces of Eight first, which he ate up.
An excellent story. I am more dumbfounded that you managed to get someone to sit down through a history lesson. My friends tend to glaze over as a natter on. I like the nice touch of the pirates chest it is icing on the cake. I am definitely going to have to save up for an 8 Reale yet but with my constant distraction it may be awhile before I get one.
Keep watching EBay. Every once in a while a whole slew of 8 Real coins will pop up and you can get one for a song and a dance. I was having trouble finding any 8 Real coins for under $100 so when they suddenly popped up I bid on several and won all of them, some for under $50. i don't think I paid more than $65 for the shipwreck, and I could have bought a bunch of them at that price. The one I got had good details but it looked like a tiny barnacle had been on one spot.
I have 3 El Cazador Shipwreck 8 reals. One is a nice high grade 1779 MO , the other two I have are upper midgrade ish 1783. All slabbed genuine by NGC. I bought the 1779 in Caymen Islands on vacation and I think I got a very good deal for high grade and scarcer date.
I don't know too much about them I just remember my reaction when I heard I could get a shipwreck coin being 'I need one'
