Are Dark Tide Relics shipwreck coins authentic?

Every shipwreck coin and artifact sold by Dark Tide Relics is authenticated and accompanied by provenance documentation from recognized authorities such as the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society, NGC, or PCGS, plus a permanent digital provenance record via TreasureCheck.ai.

Which shipwrecks does Dark Tide Relics specialize in?

Dark Tide Relics curates artifacts from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha (1622), Santa Margarita, the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet, El Cazador (1784), SS Central America (1857), Maravillas, Concepción, and other documented Spanish colonial and American Gold Rush wrecks.

How are orders shipped?

All orders ship via FedEx, fully insured and with adult signature required on delivery.

Does Dark Tide Relics buy shipwreck coins from collectors?

Yes. Dark Tide Relics actively acquires authenticated shipwreck coins and collections. Submissions can be made through the Sell Coins program at darktiderelics.com/sell-coins.

Casa de Moneda de México

City: Mexico City, Mexico
Mint mark: M / Mo
Years active: 1535–present
Metals: Silver, Gold
Assayers: G Francisco del Rincón (initial G for assayer mark); R Francisco del Rincón; O Luis Rodríguez (oidor); O/S Transitional marks; F Francisco de Morales; A Alonso Rodríguez de Guevara; D Diego de Godoy; P Felipe Rodríguez; G Marcos del Garro; L José de León; J José Eustaquio de León; R Nicolás Ramos de Baeza; F José Eustaquio Fernández de León; MF Manuel de la Peña / Fernández; M Manuel de Arana; MM Manuel de Arana y Matienzo; MF Manuel de la Peña; FM Francisco Antonio de la Peña y Marín; FF Francisco Antonio de la Peña; FM Francisco Arance y Cobos / Mariano Rodríguez; FT / TH Tomás Butrón Miranda; JJ Joaquín Dávila Madrid

The first mint in the Americas and the longest continuously operating mint in the Western Hemisphere, producing coins for nearly 500 years.

History

The Mexico City mint holds a singular distinction in numismatic history: it was the first mint established in the Americas, founded by a royal decree of Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza in 1535, just fourteen years after the fall of Tenochtitlan. From that moment forward, it never stopped striking coins. In its earliest decades, the mint produced simple silver coins bearing the Pillars of Hercules and the motto "PLVS VLTRA" — the symbols of Spain's ambition to conquer beyond the known world. These early pieces evolved into the famous "cob" coinage — hand-struck, irregularly shaped silver coins that became the universal currency of global trade. The mint mark "M" (later "Mo") appears on coins recovered from shipwrecks spanning three centuries. Mexico City coins are found on the Atocha, the Concepción, the 1715 Fleet, El Cazador, and dozens of other wrecks. The mint's output was staggering — at its peak, it struck millions of pesos annually, and its "piece of eight" (8 reales) became the world's first truly global currency. In 1732, the Mexico City mint transitioned from cob coinage to machine-milled "pillar dollars," producing some of the most beautiful coins of the colonial era. These milled coins, with their perfectly round shapes and detailed designs, represented a technological leap that made counterfeiting far more difficult. The mint survived the wars of Mexican independence and continues to operate today as the Casa de Moneda de México, making it the oldest active mint in the Americas. Its coins — from crude 16th-century cobs to elegant 18th-century pillar dollars — tell the complete story of Spain's American empire.

Notable features

First mint established in the Americas (1535)
Produced the original "Piece of Eight"
Pioneered the Pillar Dollar design in 1732
Still operating today — nearly 500 years

Coin types

Silver
Silver
Gold
Silver
Silver
Gold

Monarch periods

Charles V & Joanna — First coins struck in the Americas. "Carlos & Johanna" series with Pillars of Hercules.
Philip II — Transition to cob coinage. Established the cross-and-shield design used for over 150 years.
Philip III — Continued cob production. Mexico City becomes the primary exporter of coinage to Manila.
Philip IV — Enormous output funding European wars. Coins from this period found on the Atocha and Concepción.
Charles II — Last Habsburg king. Introduction of gold cob coinage at Mexico City (1679).
Philip V — First Bourbon king. Historic switch from cob to milled Pillar coinage in 1732.
Ferdinand VI — Continued pillar dollar production. Mexico City pillar 8 reales widely circulated in China.
Charles III — Transition from Pillar to Bust type in 1772. El Cazador carried his bust-type coins.
Charles IV — Full bust-type coinage. Enormous volume produced; these are the most common milled colonial coins.
Ferdinand VII — Final colonial issues. Competing royalist and insurgent coinage during independence wars.