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.

Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas

Lost: 1656
Location: Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas
Coordinates: 26.9300, -79.2800
Era: Spanish Colonial – Shared Cargo System
Coinage: cob
Discovered by: Multiple salvors (Herbert Humphreys Jr. / Marex among the earliest)
Recovery: 1972
Cargo: Silver bars, Gold coins, Silver cobs, Jewelry

A treasure galleon that sank in the Bahamas carrying an extraordinary cargo of silver and gold.

History

The Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas—"Our Lady of Wonders"—was a treasure galleon sailing as part of the New Spain fleet in 1656. Heavily laden with silver and gold from the mines of Mexico and South America, she represented years of colonial extraction destined for the Spanish treasury. Passing through the Bahama Channel near midnight on 4 January 1656, the fleet's own capitana collided with the Maravillas due to a navigational error. Already damaged, she then struck a coral reef off the western Little Bahama Bank and sank within about thirty minutes, scattering her treasure across the seafloor. Of roughly 650 people aboard, only about 45 survived. Spanish salvors mounted immediate recovery efforts, retrieving an estimated five million pesos of silver between 1656 and 1683, but much of the treasure remained hidden beneath the sand, waiting for modern treasure hunters to discover the wealth that gave this wreck her wondrous name. Her cargo also included silver salvaged from the earlier loss of La Capitana off Chanduy, Ecuador, taken aboard at Cartagena.

Recovery

The Maravillas was relocated by salvage teams working the Little Bahama Bank in the 1970s — Herbert Humphreys Jr.'s Seafinders/Marex operations are among the earliest named on the site, though the precise sequence of first rediscovery is not cleanly settled in the published record, and work has continued under several licensed salvors since (most recently Allen Exploration, from 2015). The site has proven remarkably productive, yielding not only coins and bars but also artifacts that tell the story of 17th-century colonial life. Among the most notable finds have been magnificent silver bars stamped with shipper's marks, gold coins of exceptional quality, and jewelry that speaks to the personal wealth traveling aboard Spanish treasure ships. The Maravillas continues to reward treasure hunters with new discoveries. The artifacts recovered from Las Maravillas are prized by collectors for their exceptional preservation and historical significance, each piece carrying the legacy of Spain's golden age.

Timeline

1654 — Galleon Constructed — Built as a treasure galleon for the New Spain fleet.
1656 — Departs Veracruz — Sets sail laden with silver and gold from Mexico and South America.
1656 — Strikes Bahama Reefs — Wrecked on the Little Bahama Bank at night, scattering her wondrous cargo.
1656 — Spanish Recovery Attempt — Spanish salvors recover a portion of the registered cargo.
1972 — Relocated by Salvors — Modern salvage begins on the Little Bahama Bank site, with Herbert Humphreys Jr. / Marex among the earliest operators named.
1972–Present — Ongoing Salvage — Over 50 years of recovery yields coins, bars, and extraordinary jewelry.

Notes

Her name means "Our Lady of Wonders"
Spanish salvors recovered some cargo shortly after the sinking
Modern salvage has continued for over 50 years
Artifacts include exceptional jewelry and personal items