The Cuban jeweler in Miami, Carlos Marcelín, shared an impressive video alongside the expert and collector Antonio Sánchez Bretón, in which they showcase an authentic silver bar from the 17th century, cast in Potosí (present-day Bolivia) in the year 1622 and belonging to the historic Spanish galleon "Nuestra Señora de Atocha," which sank off the coast of Florida.
The video, posted on Marcelín's Instagram account, has garnered over 60,000 "likes" and has gone viral among history enthusiasts, numismatics, and fans of colonial treasures.
During the recording, Marcelín and Sánchez Bretón describe this relic in detail. “What you see here is a silver bar that was made in Potosí. The bars have many characteristics. This one was made in the year 1622, and here in front, it has a P which stands for Potosí,” explained the collector.
The piece, as detailed, weighs between 15 and 90 troy pounds, an old measurement used for precious metals. This silver bar is valued in 2025 at around 100,000 dollars. "Can we negotiate it right now? I'll give you 80,000 for it," Marcelín joked.
The relic is engraved with the manifest number 899, identifying it as one of the 1,038 bars recovered from the Atocha by the legendary treasure hunter Mel Fisher in 1985. It also retains the original mint marks, the purity control stamps, and the name of the master silversmith responsible, a profession known as “Silver Master.”
"I’ve never seen anything like this. Thank you for giving me the opportunity," Marcelín said excitedly as he held the bar.
The expert also explained the method with which the quality of the metal was verified during colonial times. “This is the 'assay bite', like a bite. The one who checked the quality of the silver would take a sample and verify its purity, and that was what those who did that work were paid for.”
Beyond its economic value, experts emphasize that this piece has an enormous historical and cultural value.
Our Lady of Atocha was one of the galleons that transported the treasure of the Spanish Empire from America to Spain. It sank in 1622 off the Florida Keys, laden with tons of gold, silver, and precious stones.
His discovery in 1985 by Mel Fisher was regarded as one of the greatest underwater archaeological finds of the 20th century.
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