Brad Karoleff, partner with Coins Plus and the 2013 recipient of the American Numismatic Association Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award, shared the history of the search for silver coins starting with Columbus sailing for the west in 1492. Twenty years later, Cortez conquered the Aztecs by partnering with the Mexicans who were subservient to the Aztecs. The Mexicans rebelled with Cortez and took Mexico City which housed great palaces and pyramids.
The next explorer, Frances Pizarro headed south to meet with the Incas in Peru which coincidentally was at a time when the country was in upheaval after the conclusion of a civil war. He conquered the Incas and took the gold for his country. In the meantime, he gave his brothers a reward, two pieces of land, one of which contained the mountain of Potosi which is one of the richest silver mines in the world.
The sailors headed north with their gold, passing through Panama to start sailing back to Spain. The Plate Fleet headed around the Florida peninsula, and ran into a hurricane which sent 12 of the 13 ships to the bottom of the ocean.
Many other ships were successful in heading back, but English state sponsored pirates intercepted a number of the Spanish ships. Nelson was one of these pirates who intercepted one of the largest ships in the East Indies. When he returned to England, he was given the title of Lord Admiral Nelson.
Many of these coins have been recovered and Mr. Karoleff had a few of them on display for the Rotarians to examine.
