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.

Dry Tortugas Wreck

Lost: 1622
Location: Dry Tortugas deep-water site, Gulf of Mexico
Coordinates: 24.6000, -83.2000
Era: Spanish Colonial – Early Core Wrecks
Coinage: cob
Discovered by: Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology
Recovery: 1990
Cargo: Silver cobs, Gold bars, Chinese porcelain, Tortoise-shell

Deep-water Spanish merchant vessel lost in the same 1622 hurricane season as the Atocha, discovered by Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology on the seaward edge of the Tortugas.

History

The "Tortugas" wreck sat in roughly 400 metres of water off the Florida Keys and was almost certainly a merchant nao attached to the same 1622 Tierra Firme fleet that lost the Atocha and Santa Margarita. Historical records point to the Buen Jesús y Nuestra Señora del Rosario as the most likely identity, though attribution has never been finalised. The deep-water setting preserved organic materials rarely seen on shallow reef wrecks: wooden hull sections, cordage, tortoise-shell, and porcelain packed with straw.

Recovery

Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology worked the site with a purpose-built ROV between 1990 and 1993 — one of the first archaeologically-controlled deep-water treasure excavations. The recovered artifacts are now held by Odyssey Marine Exploration; a portion has been sold to collectors with detailed provenance.

Timeline

1622 — Lost in 1622 Hurricane Season — Sinks in deep water off the Dry Tortugas.
1990 — Seahawk Locates Site — Deep-water survey identifies the wreck field.
1993 — ROV Excavation — Systematic recovery of coinage, bullion, and organics.

Notes

Excavated by ROV in 400 metres of water — a pioneering deep-water dig
Contemporary with the Atocha and Santa Margarita losses
Yielded rare organic material including tortoise-shell and cordage