The English called them "pieces of eight" and gold "doubloons" and to this day these coins remain the archetype for treasure. 
Vast discoveries of gold and silver by Spanish conquistadors lead to the creation of convoys of galleons to transport the treasure from the New World to Spain. Many of these overloaded ships sank in storms and it is estimated at 20% of all gold mined was lost to shipwrecks. Since the late 1960’s a number of these have been located and salvaged. Sunken treasure coins are collected by numismatists and historians and many are made into fashionable jewelry.
New World Mints
There were a number of New World mints.- Mexico City: (OM) 1536-1821.
- Potosi: (P) 1574-1773.
- Lima: (L) 1568-89; 1684-1822.
- Cartagena: (NR) 1625-27; (C) 1627-55.
- Nuevo Reino / Santa Fe de Bogota: (NR) 1622-27: (RN) 1627-1756.
- Santo Domingo: (SP) 1542-64; 1573-78.
- Guatemala: (G)(GN) 1733-1821.
- Santiago: (Sº) 1750-1817.
- Popayan: (P) 1758-1822.
- Cuzco: (C) 1698; (C) 1824.
