"Alan K. Craig describes the minting and transporting of these unique hand-made coins, a difficult process complicated by intrigue and royal regulations. When new gold and silver coins left the Spanish colonial viceroyalties of Peru and Mexico aboard fleets of galleons headed to Spain, a number of ships sank off the coast of Florida. Counterfeiting was rife at the time, and Craig discusses a variety of mint scandals, especially those perpetrated by the notorious Francisco Gomez da la Rocha.". "As both an economic history and a numismatic study, this work will be a resource for historians, archaeologists, coin collectors, and general readers interested in maritime treasure."--BOOK JACKET.