As we pause briefly from our series of commentaries on famous people, we will take this opportunity to inform our regular, and new readers of some very interesting facts regarding the cargo, or "treasure" loaded aboard the Spanish Galleon Atocha which sailed and sank in the raging hurricane of 1622. We will also touch on Jack Magne's early, and continuing effort of bringing the Atocha treasure to America at affordable prices.
Included in the lower hold of the Atocha; arguably the most famous sailing galleon of all time, were 1000 silver bars and 582 copper ingots. The copper was loaded on-board in Havana in the year 1622; the Atocha's final stop before sailing to Spain. The ingots had an average weight of 54.2 pounds, and were loaded adjacent and to the north of the silver bars. The two cargoes complemented each other by providing a balanced load for steady sailing. This special copper was mined at Caridad del Cobre, owned by the Crown, in Southeastern Cuba. Just three ships carried this Royal cargo of copper in the 1622 Tierra Firme Flota : Atocha, Santa Margarita and the Rosario. The primary reason for shipping copper to Spain was for use in the manufacturing of the huge bronze 2000 pound cannons used to defend the ships against pirates and other warring factions of the day. In the second decade of the seventeenth century, the Crown's New World revenues were in decline, and as silver became more scarce, copper based coins were also minted in Spain.
In about 1986, a very interesting discovery was made by Mel Fisher's Maritime Heritage Society regarding the copper ingots' composition. A random sampling of 5 ingots revealed small, but significant percentages of gold. Measurements between approximately one- half to one per cent gold per bar represented as much as $ 10,000.00 per bar, just in gold, at today's value. It cannot be assured all 582 ingots had this amount of gold, since only 5 were tested, but for some, this unknown dimension actually enhances the mystery surrounding this rare cargo. It is also impossible to quantify the excitement that exists in the hearts of many people when they just contemplate the possibility of possessing their very own slice of history.
The silver ingots averaged about 65 pounds and most were owned by private merchants. One hundred thirty three bars were owned by King Phillip IV, Spain's reigning King at the time. Most of the silver bars were mined in Potossi, present day Bolivia; then moved to Portobello, a Caribbean port in what is now the Republic of Panama. Many exotic and identifying stamps and markings were placed on the bars. Manifest numbers, mint marks, tax stamps, "tax bite" and even owner's monogram or initials were common inscriptions.
Mel Fisher located the 1622 shipwreck in 1985 after an arduous sixteen year quest. Mel's battle for ownership only enhanced his reputation as the courageous, feisty treasure hunter who battled the detractors, and the State of Florida over ownership.
Mel emerged victorious against all odds, and took possession of the $ 400 million dollar bounty.
Enter Jack Magne', a history buff and marketing entrepreneur who had followed Fisher's exploits in National Geographics, and other publications. Once treasure is found, attention often turns to marketing. Jack met Fisher at an auction in Las Vegas in 1988, and discussed his plan to liquidate some of the Atocha shipwreck bullion by casting into authentic designs- rings, earrings, crosses,coins, pendants and the like. Fisher invited Magne' to Key West to discuss his plan. Months passed and when Magne' visited Fisher in Key West, it wasn't as easy as he had thought. Fisher announced through his secretary that he was too busy to meet. What happened next might drive home the importance of the written word, or it may just show what is meant to be- will be.
Jack pulled out a copy of a poem he had written called " ATOCHA'S LEGACY " . The poem recounted the Atocha story from loading of the ship in 1622 through the shipwreck, to Fisher's involvement, and finally exploring what it means to seek treasure- and then to finally touch it. He asked the secretary to just give Mr. Fisher his personalized copy, done on parchment. The young lady complied and entered Mel's office. The door was closed- Jack did not move.
A few minutes later Mel Fisher emerged with a smile and a hand shake. Treasure Sails, Inc. was born.
This is what Mel had read:
ATOCHA'S LEGACY
The silver stacked by muscled men
Who breathed the summer air
The smiles and dreams of home again
From Portobello fair
The merchants' busy thoughts of trade
The silver master's count
As tons of precious cargo laid
And weather worries mount
The sweat and thoughts of glory too
Would fill September's sails
They left in 1622
And faced the stormy gales
The destination said to be
From Cartagena's shore
A stop in Cuba; then for home
Spain's King could wait no more
Three centuries and more had passed
Before the ship was found
Determination brought Mel there
Dreams and destiny bound
The throb of life recorded there
Within the cargo pressed
A history for all who care
To seek a treasure chest
For when we feel
What they touched then
In a sense
They live again
Jack Magne'
www.preciousmetaladvocates.com is now featuring Jack's entire line of jewelry hand cast from the Atocha's shipwrecked bullion. A very special presentation called the Ghost Galleon collection, is the newest offering from Treasure Sails, Inc. featuring the first available combination of both Atocha copper and Atocha silver in the same piece. A fitting ultimate destination, and destiny, for cargo that traveled side-by-side all those centuries ago.
This line has been years in the making, and requires separate casting, of copper and silver components by master copper and silversmiths working at separate locations, but with single-minded determination to achieve outstanding quality at an affordable price. Truly " Fit for a King"- or Queen.
We are now restoring, and combining some of Jack's and Mel's joint appearances on TV during early promotional tours as Mel assisted Jack in his pioneering efforts to bring the treasure of the Atocha to America. Please look for this footage on www.preciousmetaladvocates.com web site in the near future.
Smooth Sailing,
Jack Magne'
Showing posts with label Jack Magne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Magne. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
A GENIUS- OR IS HE JUST CRAZY
Update of: Shipwrecks, Train wrecks and Kate Gosselin
Regular readers may not be aware that Jack Magne', President of Treasure Sails, Inc., and creator of the Ghost Galleon Collection has a serious, dedicated side, which has resulted in the production, and launch of what may be one of the most unique treasure offerings ever created. We believe Jack's alleged confinement- possibly self imposed in his mountain cabin in Northern California is only a temporary, humorous glitch which has come in the middle of an otherwise successful launch of one of the world's most unique jewelry presentations. Jack has sent us a somewhat cryptic message- along with a poem, which appears later in this writing.
Magne's passionate, if not obsessive, pursuit of a goal he set many years ago has finally come to fruition. His name is pronounced monyea, was the first entrepreneur to find a way to market many of the silver bricks, called ingots that were recovered by Mel Fisher in perhaps the world's most famous and celebrated 1622 shipwreck "Atocha". Most prominent in the treasure cargo were 1000 silver bars and 562 copper ingots- laid in close proximity, (side by side) almost four centuries ago.
Beginning in 1988, Jack, with some assistance from Mel Fisher, was able to market Atocha shipwreck silver, cast into authentic designs inspired and recreated from actual one-of-a-kind recovered artifacts. Jack successfully launched his first treasure jewelry at D.H.Holmes department stores headquartered in New Orleans. Other chains such as Dillards and JC Penney followed and were spectacular successes.
Here is the rub: No one in the world, in the 25 years, since the location and salvage of the Atocha has been willing or able to utilize BOTH Atocha Silver AND Atocha copper incorporated into the same piece of jewelry. Spurred on by the fact that the Atocha copper is actually, (at 562 ingots), more rare than the Atocha silver (at 1000 bars), a fact not lost on collectors and seekers of treasure- Jack has never abandoned his goal of combining, once again, the copper and silver- but now as treasure jewelry. Fisher's original contention that there is naturally occurring gold in Atocha's copper ingots was substantiated by him with an early sampling of 6 randomly chosen copper ingots which contained varying small, but significant percentages- This additional, yet little known, uniqueness of the special copper further propelled Magne's passion. While no one else cared, Magne' has collected and stored the Atocha copper along with the silver, in bank vaults over the years.
There are many reasons casting of Atocha copper had been problematic. First, in the New World, in the 1600's the ingots were crudely cast in dug-out sand holes. The surface embedded sand, along with over three centuries' gathered sedimentation beneath the ocean had made the copper difficult to manage and destructive to the equipment small-batch casters work with. Add to this the fact that silver smiths are not copper smiths - and usually have no desire to be.
Undaunted, the tenacious Magne' has tried repeatedly over the years to come up with the appropriate answer --- and, finally he has. Like most things worthwhile, it was a major challenge to get it started. First, he persuaded a major USA bronze foundry to agree to melt the Atocha copper, skim the sand and impurities, and re-cast into smaller, 15 pound user-friendly units that are then shipped to the copper-smith who casts the copper into Jack's authentic treasure designs. The castings are then shipped to Jack's silversmith who painstakingly fits actual Atocha hand cast silver components to the copper coins, medallions, pendants, earrings and more. The finished product, stunning with its contrasting hues, is protected against oxidation, antiqued and hand polished. Original mint marks, manifest numbers, tax stamps and other primitive inscriptions are all captured in beautiful, wearable treasure jewelry.
Since presumably no one else world-wide has gone to this much trouble to produce jewelry, Magne' has been described variously as an obsessed genius, or just plain crazy. Thus, www.pmacoins.com , is short for Precious Metal Advocates originally a marketer of rare coins only, now presents the Ghost Galleon Collection at special affordable introductory prices. Jack's insistence on quality is combined with his original commitment to make the Atocha shipwreck treasure affordable to the average person.
GHOST GALLEON
Through the years that Fisher spent
In search of HIS shipwreck
No lucid dream - the lure was real
Like cannons on ship - deck
Today's the day - or so he thought
Path clues would disappear
The galleon moved, or so it seemed
Elusive - yet so near
For sixteen years, the sea hid back
Atocha's secret hold
The pirates' quest - the treasure chest
And ghostly stories told
The eery mist gave up one day
Something less surreal
The silver, gold and copper too
The ghost Mel found was real
Jack Magne'
Regular readers may not be aware that Jack Magne', President of Treasure Sails, Inc., and creator of the Ghost Galleon Collection has a serious, dedicated side, which has resulted in the production, and launch of what may be one of the most unique treasure offerings ever created. We believe Jack's alleged confinement- possibly self imposed in his mountain cabin in Northern California is only a temporary, humorous glitch which has come in the middle of an otherwise successful launch of one of the world's most unique jewelry presentations. Jack has sent us a somewhat cryptic message- along with a poem, which appears later in this writing.
Magne's passionate, if not obsessive, pursuit of a goal he set many years ago has finally come to fruition. His name is pronounced monyea, was the first entrepreneur to find a way to market many of the silver bricks, called ingots that were recovered by Mel Fisher in perhaps the world's most famous and celebrated 1622 shipwreck "Atocha". Most prominent in the treasure cargo were 1000 silver bars and 562 copper ingots- laid in close proximity, (side by side) almost four centuries ago.
Beginning in 1988, Jack, with some assistance from Mel Fisher, was able to market Atocha shipwreck silver, cast into authentic designs inspired and recreated from actual one-of-a-kind recovered artifacts. Jack successfully launched his first treasure jewelry at D.H.Holmes department stores headquartered in New Orleans. Other chains such as Dillards and JC Penney followed and were spectacular successes.
Here is the rub: No one in the world, in the 25 years, since the location and salvage of the Atocha has been willing or able to utilize BOTH Atocha Silver AND Atocha copper incorporated into the same piece of jewelry. Spurred on by the fact that the Atocha copper is actually, (at 562 ingots), more rare than the Atocha silver (at 1000 bars), a fact not lost on collectors and seekers of treasure- Jack has never abandoned his goal of combining, once again, the copper and silver- but now as treasure jewelry. Fisher's original contention that there is naturally occurring gold in Atocha's copper ingots was substantiated by him with an early sampling of 6 randomly chosen copper ingots which contained varying small, but significant percentages- This additional, yet little known, uniqueness of the special copper further propelled Magne's passion. While no one else cared, Magne' has collected and stored the Atocha copper along with the silver, in bank vaults over the years.
There are many reasons casting of Atocha copper had been problematic. First, in the New World, in the 1600's the ingots were crudely cast in dug-out sand holes. The surface embedded sand, along with over three centuries' gathered sedimentation beneath the ocean had made the copper difficult to manage and destructive to the equipment small-batch casters work with. Add to this the fact that silver smiths are not copper smiths - and usually have no desire to be.
Undaunted, the tenacious Magne' has tried repeatedly over the years to come up with the appropriate answer --- and, finally he has. Like most things worthwhile, it was a major challenge to get it started. First, he persuaded a major USA bronze foundry to agree to melt the Atocha copper, skim the sand and impurities, and re-cast into smaller, 15 pound user-friendly units that are then shipped to the copper-smith who casts the copper into Jack's authentic treasure designs. The castings are then shipped to Jack's silversmith who painstakingly fits actual Atocha hand cast silver components to the copper coins, medallions, pendants, earrings and more. The finished product, stunning with its contrasting hues, is protected against oxidation, antiqued and hand polished. Original mint marks, manifest numbers, tax stamps and other primitive inscriptions are all captured in beautiful, wearable treasure jewelry.
Since presumably no one else world-wide has gone to this much trouble to produce jewelry, Magne' has been described variously as an obsessed genius, or just plain crazy. Thus, www.pmacoins.com , is short for Precious Metal Advocates originally a marketer of rare coins only, now presents the Ghost Galleon Collection at special affordable introductory prices. Jack's insistence on quality is combined with his original commitment to make the Atocha shipwreck treasure affordable to the average person.
GHOST GALLEON
Through the years that Fisher spent
In search of HIS shipwreck
No lucid dream - the lure was real
Like cannons on ship - deck
Today's the day - or so he thought
Path clues would disappear
The galleon moved, or so it seemed
Elusive - yet so near
For sixteen years, the sea hid back
Atocha's secret hold
The pirates' quest - the treasure chest
And ghostly stories told
The eery mist gave up one day
Something less surreal
The silver, gold and copper too
The ghost Mel found was real
Jack Magne'
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