Nuestra Señora de la Pura y Limpia Concepción
- Lost: 1641
- Location: Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
- Coordinates: 20.9500, -69.0500
- Era: Spanish Colonial – Mid-17th Century
- Coinage: cob
- Discovered by: William Phips
- Recovery: 1687
- Cargo: Silver coins, Silver bars, Gold chains
Nuestra Señora de la Pura y Limpia Concepción was the almiranta of the 1641 New Spain fleet, wrecked on the Silver Shoals north of Hispaniola after a hurricane, with roughly 300 dead and more than 100 tons of treasure aboard. William Phips salvaged tons of silver in 1687 and made his fortune; Burt Webber relocated the wreck in 1978, producing about 60,000 silver cobs — mostly sea-worn Mexico 8 and 4 reales, with scarce Potosí and Bogotá pieces bringing multiples. Her gold has never surfaced. In August 2026, Concepción-attributed coins cleared a $745 median across 10 eBay sales.
What was she, and what did she carry?
She was the second flagship of the 1641 convoy home from Veracruz, and by regulation a principal treasure carrier. Her cargo mixed American silver with goods that had crossed the Pacific on the Manila galleons and been trans-shipped through Mexico: Chinese porcelain, silk, spices and jewellery beside royal silver.
How was she lost?
A hurricane caught the fleet after it left Havana in September 1641. Damaged and leaking, the Concepción was driven far off course and eventually struck the coral of the Silver Shoals — a reef north of Hispaniola. Around 300 people died. Survivors' accounts of the position are what made later salvage possible at all.
What has been recovered?
Concepción cobs are mostly Mexico-mint and heavily sea-worn. The scarce Potosí and Bogotá examples are where the premiums live.
- 1687: William Phips, guided by survivor reports, recovers tons of silver — historically valued at roughly £140,000–£300,000 sterling depending on source and shares — and is knighted for it.
- 1978: Burt Webber relocates the wreck after Phips's own records are re-examined, and recovers about 60,000 silver cobs.
- Still missing: no gold from the Concepción has ever surfaced. The gold scatter is believed to remain on the reef.
What are Concepción coins worth?
Supply is limited and prices sit well above the commodity wrecks. In our August 2026 eBay study, ten Concepción-attributed sales cleared a $745 median with a top sale of $1,475. Sample sizes that small are indicative rather than definitive — ask for comparables on a specific coin.
How do you verify a Concepción coin?
- Ask whether the coin traces to the 1978 Webber recovery, and for the certificate that accompanied it.
- Expect Mexico-mint cobs dated before 1641; Potosí and Bogotá examples exist and command more.
- Expect genuine sea wear — this material sat on a reef, and pristine surfaces on a claimed Concepción coin need explaining.
Frequently asked questions
- How many coins came from the Concepción? About 60,000 silver cobs from the 1978 Burt Webber recovery, mostly Mexico-mint 8 and 4 reales, in addition to what William Phips took up in 1687.
- Has gold been recovered from the Concepción? No gold from the wreck has ever surfaced. The gold scatter is believed to remain on the Silver Shoals.
- What do Concepción coins sell for? Ten sales in our August 2026 eBay study cleared a $745 median with a $1,475 top result — a small sample, indicative only.
Sources
- Dark Tide Relics, Market Report No. 19 — The eBay Ledger (569 sold listings, $212,301, August 2026; captured August 27, 2026)
- Dark Tide Relics, Report No. 18 — The Silver Highway (the convoy system, the wreck census and the supply logic)
- Timothy R. Walton, The Spanish Treasure Fleets (Pineapple Press, 1994; paperback 2002)
One of the richest Spanish treasure ships ever lost, wrecked on the Silver Shoals north of Hispaniola.
History
The Nuestra Señora de la Pura y Limpia Concepción served as the almiranta (vice-flagship) of the 1641 New Spain fleet — the annual treasure convoy returning from Veracruz to Spain. Her cargo combined the silver of the Americas with goods that had crossed the Pacific on the Manila galleons and been trans-shipped overland through Mexico: Chinese porcelain, silk, spices, and jewelry alongside Mexican silver bound for the royal treasury. In September 1641, while making her way from Havana to Spain, the Concepción was caught in a fierce hurricane. Heavily damaged and leaking, she was driven far off course and eventually struck a submerged reef on the Silver Bank (Abrojos), a treacherous area of coral heads north of Hispaniola. The ship broke apart, scattering her diverse cargo across the shallow reef. The Spanish mounted several salvage attempts, but the remote location and shifting sands made recovery nearly impossible. The Concepción's treasure became the stuff of legend, whispered about in Caribbean ports for decades as one of the greatest prizes waiting to be claimed.
Recovery
The salvage of the Concepción represents one of history's great treasure hunting successes. In 1687, American colonist William Phips led an expedition to Silver Shoals, guided by reports from Spanish survivors. Against enormous odds, his divers located the wreck and recovered an astounding fortune in silver. Phips returned to England with a fortune in silver; period and later sources give widely varying totals, from the tens of thousands to the low hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling (or dollar-equivalent estimates), and no single figure should be treated as an audited valuation. Whatever the exact figure, it made him wealthy and earned him a knighthood from King James II. His success sparked treasure hunting fever that has never abated. Modern expeditions have returned to the site, recovering additional artifacts and coins that Phips's divers missed. The Concepción continues to yield treasures, connecting us to the global trade networks of the 17th century.
Timeline
- 1639 — Ship Commissioned — Built as a heavy galleon for the New Spain treasure fleet.
- 1641 — Departs Veracruz — Sets sail for Spain with a diverse cargo from Asia and the Americas.
- 1641 — Strikes Silver Shoals — Caught in a hurricane, driven onto submerged reefs north of Hispaniola.
- 1687 — William Phips Finds Wreck — American colonist leads successful expedition, recovering a fortune in silver.
- 1970s–Present — Modern Expeditions — Advanced technology reveals additional artifacts missed by earlier salvors.
Notes
- William Phips was knighted for his salvage success
- Served as the almiranta (vice-flagship) of the 1641 New Spain fleet
- The Silver Bank (Abrojos) takes its name from wrecks like this one
- Modern expeditions continue to find treasure at the site