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.

Potosí: The Mountain That Funded an Empire

Cerro Rico produced more silver than any mine in history. Here's how a peak in the Bolivian Andes minted the coins that crossed your hand.

In 1545, Spanish prospectors confirmed what local Quechua miners already knew: the mountain above Potosí was nearly solid silver. Within fifty years, the city was one of the largest in the Western Hemisphere — bigger than London or Paris.

The Potosí mint stamped 8 Reales cobs by the millions. Each was hand-cut from a silver bar, weighed to 27.07 grams, and struck between two dies. The Habsburg shield went on one face. The pillars of Hercules and waves on the other. The assayer's initial was punched in by hand.

These coins funded wars, paid soldiers, and crossed every ocean. Many were loaded onto the Atocha and Santa Margarita in 1622. Many more left in the holds of Manila galleons bound for Asia.

When you hold a Potosí cob, you're holding the working currency of the first global economy.