1751SO J CHILE 8E EX LUZ WRECK NGC MS63. 1751 So J, Chile, 8 Escudos, Nuestra Senora de la Luz, (KM # 3). This salvaged gold coin shows vibrant mint luster despite the fact that it is over 260 years old. A couple of minor marks in the obverse field keep it from a higher mint state grade. The strike is full with every detail easily observable on both sides. The obverse shows a bust of Ferdinand VII facing right. The inscription reads Ferdinadnus. VI. D.G. HISP. REX. with the date, 1751. The reverse shows the Bourbon shield surrounded with the inscription NOMINA MAGNA SEQUOR, with the mint mark, So and J below.

The ship Nuestra Senora de la Luz sank in Montevideo harbor in July 1752. All on board were killed. The ship had been bound for Spain with a cargo of provisions and money. Most of the cargo was found shortly after the wreck, but the powder-hold, where approximately 200,000 pesos had been stored, was never found.

In April of 1992, divers working under Rubn Collado began to recover gold coins on a wrecksite in the Ro de la Plata, and soon it became clear the wreck in question had to be from 1751 or 1752, as none of the coins was dated later than 1751. The finds, which were split with the Uruguayan government and then sold at auction in New York and Montevideo, consisted of mostly milled (bust-type) 8 escudos from the new mint at Santiago, Chile.

Almost all of the gold coins from the Nuestra Senora de la Luz are in the AU55 to MS61 range. They generally have poor strikes, especially on the bust of Ferdinand, and show sea corrosion. The new mint at Santiago had decided to strike gold coins in high relief on polished planchets. However, most of the coins were poorly struck on one or both sides. When government officials complained about the flattened bust of Ferdinand, the mint went back to striking coins with normal relief. Sea corrosion also hurts many of the Santiago gold pieces by darkening their fields.

All of the gold coins salvaged from the ship are rare in all conditions.

Specifications: 27.07 g, .917 fine gold, .798 troy oz AGW.