Treasure of the Atocha: A $400 Million Archaeological Adventure

• Authors: R. Duncan Mathewson III
• Edition: Pisces Books / E.P. Dutton, 1986 [confirm]
• Subjects: Wreck, History
• Level: New collector, Collector

What it is

The archaeological account of the search for and recovery of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha — the Spanish galleon lost in the 1622 hurricane off the Florida Keys — written by R. Duncan Mathewson III, the archaeological director of the Mel Fisher expedition, with a foreword by Mel Fisher.

Why it matters

It is the project archaeologist's own record of the Atocha find — the excavation methods, the artifact record, and how a scattered reef wreck was worked into a documented recovery. For any Atocha-era cob, this is the human and methodological context behind the salvage.

Who it's for

Anyone who owns or is considering an Atocha or 1622 fleet coin, and readers who want the archaeological side of the Fisher recovery rather than the coin catalog alone.