• Items recovered from wreckage of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha
• US treasure hunter Mel Fisher spent 16 years searching for it
• 40 items will be sold to mark 30 years since his discovery
• Haul includes money chain, gold bars and emerald-encrusted cross

Treasure recovered from a Spanish ship that sank off the coast of Florida in 1622 will be auctioned next month. 

A solid gold chalice, an emerald-encrusted cross and a bag of silver coins will go under the hammer in New York.

The incredible items were discovered by a US treasure hunter from the wreckage of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, the most famous vessel in a Spanish flotilla that sank after sailing into a hurricane.  

A gold crucifix with inlaid Colombian emerald jewels sits on display in New York and was pulled from the 400-year-old wreckage of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha Spanish galleon

It was among a fleet of nine ships that were lost at sea; hundreds of people perished, including nobility who brought along their personal jewels.

Treasure hunter Mel Fisher searched 16 years for it before discovering the Atocha motherlode in 1985, finding 40 tons of silver and gold, fine Colombian emeralds and over 1,000 silver bars.

Guernsey’s will auction a selection of items from the doomed ship to mark the 30th anniversary since its discovery. 

The haul includes two spectacular gold chains, one called a ‘money chain,’ has big links the size of a thumbnail and extends past the waist. 

Fisher wore it on the ‘Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’ soon after the ship’s discovery.

In the Colonial era, the Spanish king placed a 20 percent tariff on gold bullion called the Royal Fifth. But if the gold was turned into jewelry, the tax was forgiven.

Each link of the ‘money chain’ is of equal size and weight and could be twisted off and used as formal currency. It could bring $90,000 to $120,000.

Precious: This gold bar will be one of 40 select items from the ship auctioned off by Guernsey’s next month
 

The other chain features ornate carved links that come down to the knees and could sell for $40,000 to $50,000.

‘It’s real high-carat gold. Purer than any gold you’d buy in a store today,’ said daughter Taffi Fisher Abt.

Other highlights include an intricate gold spoon of Peruvian and Spanish origin. It’s believed to have been used during Communion by priests who sailed to the Americas to convert the natives to Christianity, said Fisher Abt. 

The spoon’s black enamel neck is decorated with scrolling flora and birds and a carved masculine face flanked by condors, a symbol of royalty among the Inca people. It’s estimated to bring $160,000 to $180,000.

Also up for auction is the Bezoar Stone, which was believed to remove poisons and toxins from liquids. The pendant, about the size of an egg, is encased in a gold mounting with four arms grasping the stone. 

For sale: The spoon was thought to be used by priests during Communion to convert South American natives

Under the hammer: A silver bar which weighs 80 pounds, was just a portion of 40 tons of gold and silver pulled from the 400-year-old Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha wreckage

It was meant to hang from a chain so it could easily be dipped into a cup; when the stone color changed, it signified no toxins were present. 

The piece is actually not a stone, but an organic mass taken from a two-stomached animal like a llama or goat. Today, it is highly valued by the Chinese for medicinal reasons. Its pre-sale estimate is $28,000-$35,000.

The Guernsey’s sale also will offer about 100 silver coins from the Atocha sister ship, the Santa Margarita, ranging from $1,000 to many thousands depending on condition, said Guernsey’s president Arlan Ettinger.

A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit the Michael Abt Jr. Have a Heart Foundation, which provides defibrillators to schools nationwide.

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Treasures from Spanish galleon which sank off the coast of Florida in 1622 set for auction