1986.008.1493
Copper Ingot
Physical Object
1986.008.1493
Nuestra Señora de Atocha or Santa Margarita (1622)
circa 1620
A copper ingot recovered from the wreck of a 1622 galleon. The copper came from the “El Cobre” mine located in the extreme southeast of Cuba, where it had been mined by African slaves for the Spanish crown. In Spain, the copper was largely used to make bronze artillery. This is a “splash” type ingot formed by molten copper poured into a shallow depression in the ground.