El Cazador Story At the end of the American Revolution, Spain was the largest colonial power in the New World, holding almost half of the current United States. To concentrate his power, King Charles III ordered an infusion of hard currency into the local economy. On January 11, 1784, the Spanish ship El Cazador set sail from Veracruz, Mexico, for the port of New Orleans, with a load of 90% pure silver coins -- pieces of eight that would be legal tender in the U.S. until 1857. Had the El Cazador made it to New Orleans, the map of todays United States would have been radically altered. But the ship never arrived, perhaps sunk by pirates. Charles was forced to sell the Territory back to the French, who flipped it to the United States. And what became of the El Cazador? In 1993, fishermen aboard the Mistake, a humble trawler, snagged some debris on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, and were shocked to find silver coins in the nets. The crew had discovered the resting place of the doomed ship -- as well as its silver treasure, the coins that changed the world.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 03:18:15 +0000
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