^Lot 1670 Silver 1-oz "Golden Crew" commemorative medallion made from Atocha silver in 1985, presented to dive

Silver 1-oz "Golden Crew" commemorative medallion made from Atocha silver in 1985, presented to diver Andy Matroci. 38 mm. frame is 3½" x 3½". Designed by Kevin Hauser and struck by the Highland Mint in silver from ingots recovered from the ship. Obverse: the Atocha sinking in the storm, flanked by dates 1622 and 1985, legend NUESTRA SENORA de ATOCHA above, DIVERS COMMEMORATIVE below; Reverse: two divers recovering ingots and coins from the wreck, MOTHERLODE below, ONE OZ TROY .999 FINE SILVER RECOVERED FROM THE WRECK OF THE ATOCHA encircling; Edge: reeded. Lightly toned UNC. The airtight attribution of this medallion to Atocha diver Andy Matroci could hardly be more significant, as it was Andy and his dive partner, Greg Wareham, who first saw the "Mother Lode" on July 20, 1985, while acting on Andy's hunch to check the southeast corner of the hole they had just blown from Kane Fisher's boat, the Dauntless. The divers working the site at the time became known as the "Golden Crew"; Andy went on to continue the search for more treasure on the Atocha and Santa Margarita as captain of the salvage vessel J.B. Magruder before retiring in 2021. with original certificate and custom stand signed by Andy Matroci.