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.

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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.

Lucayan Beach Wreck

Lost: 1628
Location: Lucayan Beach, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Coordinates: 26.5300, -78.7000
Era: Spanish Colonial – Mid-17th Century
Coinage: cob
Discovered by: Local divers
Recovery: 1964
Cargo: Mexico-mint silver cobs (Philip III & Philip IV), Iron cannons, Ballast stones

A Spanish vessel lost off Grand Bahama Island carrying Mexico-mint silver cobs dated as late as 1628 — traditionally linked, though not conclusively proven, to the treasure fleet captured by Dutch admiral Piet Heyn at Matanzas Bay in September 1628.

History

The Lucayan Beach Wreck is a Spanish vessel lost in shallow water off Grand Bahama Island, identified primarily through its cargo of Mexico-mint silver cob coins. The latest dated coins on the site are from 1628, which establishes that the ship could not have been lost any earlier. That date carries an unusually specific historical weight. On September 8, 1628, the Dutch admiral Piet Heyn ambushed the entire Spanish treasure fleet at Matanzas Bay, Cuba, and captured it intact — one of the most catastrophic losses ever suffered by the Spanish Crown. The Captain General was executed; the Admiral was banished. A traditional theory links the Lucayan Beach vessel to that captured fleet, though the ship's identity remains unproven and the connection is not independently documented. The ship grounded in roughly ten feet of water between two reefs, only half a mile from shore. The hull was torn open and her cargo of coins was scattered across the seabed, where it lay undisturbed for over three centuries. Note: the Lucayan Beach Wreck is a separate site from the well-known "Tumbaga Wreck," an early-1500s vessel also lost off Grand Bahama which carried Carlos & Joanna coinage and tumbaga ingots. The two are frequently confused in the market.

Recovery

In the summer of 1964, divers working off Lucayan Beach found an unusual anchor lacking the typical cross arms — a sign of an early vessel. The next day they located two iron cannons, ballast stones, and silver coins. Much of the structural wreckage had already been recovered by earlier, less systematic efforts, but the coins — light enough to be dispersed by currents — had remained on the seabed, bonded together by coral growth into conglomerates. The conglomerates were brought up, carefully cleaned, and sorted. The coins are Mexico-mint cobs of Philip III and Philip IV, with the latest dates clustered in the late 1610s and 1620s, ending at 1628.

Notes

Latest coin dates of 1628 are traditionally linked to the fleet captured by Piet Heyn at Matanzas Bay, though the identity is unproven
Discovered in 1964 in just ten feet of water, half a mile from shore
Often confused with the early-1500s Tumbaga Wreck, which is a completely separate site