|
El Cazador Shipwreck Coins
The El Cazador, a Spanish brigantine of war, was lost without a trace in the winter of 1784 while on route from Vera Cruz Mexico to the port of New Orleans. The wreck site was accidentally discovered on August 2, 1993 by a fishing vessel working the area. The treasure of the El Cazador, consisting of over 400,000 Spanish 8 reales and an equal amount of smaller denomination Spanish colonial coins from the Mexico City mint, was intended to stabilize the Spanish monetary system in colonial North America. Her loss contributed to Spain's eventual conveyance of Louisiana to France's Napoleon in 1800. The rest is history, as three years later in 1803, Napoleon of France sold Louisiana to the United States, instantly doubling the size of the country.
|
