The Tumbaga Saga: Treasure of the Conquistadors by A. Garcia (2018) 2nd Ed.

Description

T
he "Tumbaga" Saga: Treasure of the Conquistadors - 2nd Ed.
2018
by Agustin Garcia-Barneche
All editions are autographed by the author.
Before there were coins in the New World, before there were Spanish Treasure Fleets, and even before there were any kind of European colonies in Mexico, the conquistador Hernan Cortes and his men, through the Tarascan Conquest by Cristobal de Olid in 1522, discovered a new precious-metal mix that led to an improvised manufacture of so-called tumbaga bars: a group of over 200 silver and gold ingots discovered in the remains of an unidentified ca.-1528 shipwreck off Grand Bahama Island in 1993. These rare silver tumbaga bars found in 1993 are now a step closer to full understanding. Through a study of contemporary accounts, archeological research and historical sources, it is theorized that these strange ingots were manufactured by the Spanish using a unique copper-silver alloy forged by the Tarascans in Mexico as a source for their ornaments and offerings, a particular type of metal the Spanish called; metal of Michoacan; seized by the conquistadors in a single episode within the vast story of the conquest of Mexico during the 1520s.
This book is divided into three parts: The first part chronicles the earliest documents relating to the treasure accumulated by Hernan Cortes during his conquest of the Aztec empire. The second part concerns the later phase of conquest, specifically Captain Cristobal de Olid s campaign in the region of the Tarascan kingdom in western Mexico. The third and final part discusses technical aspects of these bars based on an interpretation of their markings and manufacture. The specimens studied in this book are the only ones known to exist all of them from the same wreck and therefore they will always be of the utmost rarity and historical importance.
The book contains a data matrix for all 194 bars, including their weights, measurements, markings and descriptions. Also featured are plates of over 80 selected bars, maps, native drawings and charts. Additionally there is a list of the names and roles of over 100 people from the tumbaga period, and an appendix with new translations from Seven decrees of Charles V pertaining to the circulation of gold and silver in the Americas and key chapters of Bernal Di­az del Castillo's Historia Verdadera De La Conquista De La Nueva Espana.
This new second edition also includes:
- Second edition (limited to 200 numbered copies)
- Expanded etymological research
- 158 pages full color
- Larger format (7"x10") with index
- New documents and maps
- Plates of oro and plata corriente and tajaderas
- New plates of "tumbaga" silver and gold bars
- New chapter: "The First Coinage of The Americas"  (by Cori Sedwick Downing)
ISBN: 978-0-982-0818-6-0 (October, 2018)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018959356
Review by late Tom Sebring:
In the summer of 1992, while hunting for treasure in the Bahamian Shoals, the Marex Corporation found over two hundred gold and silver bars unlike any found in other shipwrecks. Upon analysis it was apparent that these bars were older and of different metallic composition than those recovered from other shipwreck sites. They are actually connected to the early days of the Spanish conquest of the New World. Garcia begins his book with a comprehensive review of Cortes conquest of Mexico, utilizing many contemporary Spanish historical sources. He then moves to the unanswered questions regarding the metallic composition of the mysterious bars and where this metal originated. His research into contemporary letters and records led him to the Tarascan region present day Michoacan state in Mexico which was conquered by Cortes lieutenant, Cristobal de Olid, in 1522. His research shows these bars were composed of a silver-copper alloy which could be traced to the Tarascan culture. The Spanish called this particular alloy the metal of Michoacan. The book contains a series of photographs of bars with particularly distinctive marks. The marks were intended to denote purity, ownership and payment of the royal fifth tax. Garcia provides a list of contemporary Spaniards who might have utilized these markings. The book is a wonderful analysis of these unique bars which are a genuine link to the early days of the Spanish Conquest.