Silver Coins in the Sechura Desert, Peru

We are glad to present our customer’s find of a numismatic treasure – a witness to early currency reforms and noticeable effects on present world currencies: Several silver coins identified as Spanish Dollars were detected with the ground scanner Rover C II in northern Peru and can be dated back to the late 16th century.

Reverse of the silver coin: The coat of arms of Castile shows two lions and two castles, divided by a cross and surrounded by the letters ‘ET INDIARVM REX’. The coin can be dated back to the late 16th century – approx. 1580. The Spanish Dollar was very common and widespread, occurrences with perfectly intact motifs are rather seldom.

Pieces of Eight: The Basic Concept of World Currencies
The numismatic value of this find is fascinating in many respects: The coins became a popular trade currency of the Spanish Empire and still have impact on the designation of the present dollar. The discovery and conquest of mineral wealth in Peru and Mexico in the 15th and 16th century empowered the Spanish Empire and initiated early monetary reforms. One of the most famous silver coins of that time is the ‘Piece of Eight’, named after its divisibility into several bits. This concept is still common for breaking down currency values such as the US-Dollar into Half Dollar and Quarter Dollar.

Treasure Hunters’ Serendipity and our Technical Expertise
Thanks to its powerful performance and various special features, the multi-purpose metal detector Rover C II identifies hidden cavities and precious metal objects in different types of terrain: such as the silver coins which were found in the Sechura Desert approx. 60 cm (1.97 ft) deep – deeper than conventional detectors are able to explore.

The 3D ground scanner Rover C II combines metal detection with geoelectrical measurement in order to:

• localize and visualize position, depth and size of treasures, tombs and cavities
• discriminate between ferrous and non-ferrous metals
• detect coins and metal artifacts in significant depths.