Gold and Silver of the Atocha and Santa Margarita

• Authors: Christie's New York
• Edition: Christie's, 1988 [confirm]
• Subjects: Catalog, Wreck
• Level: Specialist

What it is

The original Christie's New York auction catalog for the June 14–15, 1988 sale of gold and silver recovered from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita — the two Spanish galleons lost in the 1622 hurricane off the Florida Keys. The catalog photographs and describes the lots: gold and silver coins, jewelry and religious gold, bullion, and navigational instruments, with lot descriptions and estimates from the sale.

Why it matters

This is a primary auction record — the market document for Atocha and Santa Margarita material at the moment a major tranche of the Fisher recovery came to public sale. For any Atocha-era cob or gold artifact, it is the reference point for how the material was lotted, graded, and valued in 1988, and a check on provenance claims tied to that sale.

Who it's for

Specialist collectors and researchers working Atocha or 1622-fleet provenance, and anyone verifying a lot or attribution tied to the 1988 Christie's sale.