Discovered long ago, and safe-guarded in private collections, these beautiful silver coins have been in our vault for many years… until now. After being buried or cached for hundreds of years, they have been professionally conserved and curated by Robert, and are ready to became a fascinating piece of history you can wear for a lifetime.

Your Pirate Chic Spanish Piece of Eight Necklace 

• Type: Spanish Cob Reale
• Denomination: 1/2 Reale
• Date: circa 1665
• Ruler: Charles II of Spain
• Mint: Potosi, Upper Viceroyalty of Peru (present day Bolivia)
• Coin Metal: .931 Silver
• Size: 1/2" Across, 3/4" Tall 
• Obverse (Front): The Jerusalem Cross
• Reverse: (Back): The Monogram of the King
  

Robert Notes: We sometimes unearth coins just like this 1/2 Reale Cob - someone once-upon-a-time both pierced a hold and soldered a loop. But the cross is still there and bold to this day!

What is a Piece of Eight?

Sometimes called “America’s First Silver Dollar” because they were in daily use, and were legal tender in the United States, until 1857... right before the U.S. Civil War. Pieces of 8 - both the large 8 Reales, and the smaller denominations of 4, 2, 1, and 1/2 - were minted by the mighty Spanish empire from New World silver – and traded (and pirated) the world over. These silver coins are the famous coins of pirate lore!

But I thought Pieces of Eight were round!

Of all the Spanish “Pieces of Eight,” or, more formally, Eight Reales, none is as famous as the crudely shaped “cob” coin of pirate lore! New World mints produced these irregular shaped, hand-hammered coins nicknamed “cobs” from the Spanish phrase, “cabo de barra” (end of the bar).  These coins were produced by pouring a strip of silver and pounding it flat, then cutting chunks of metal that weighed approximately the proper gram weight for the denomination they were minting.  This chunk, or planchet (the term for a metal coin blank before striking) was then placed between two dies and struck with a hammer.  The assayer then trimmed the excess silver off until the coin weighed the proper amount.  The fineness averaged .931 silver. You see, the Spanish king wasn’t worried about the shape of the coins, just their weight and fineness… this way he knew just how much tax to collect!

Perhaps you wonder, like we do, who pierced, wore and then stashed or lost these valuable coins… and why did they never return to retrieve them? What amazing stories could these coins tell if they could only speak?

To view our collection of bezeled (unpierced coins framed in sterling silver and gold) and unbezeled collector specimen Shipwreck & Buried Spanish Treasure Coins, Click Here>>>

Your Piece of 8 Comes Complete with:

1. Our 100% Authentic Lifetime Guarantee
2. A Detailed, Multi-Page Certificate of Authenticity Researched and Written by Robert Lewis Knecht 
3. "Pieces of Eight" Historic Brief
4. A Gift Pouch
5. A Treasure Jewelry Care Card