Fused Gold Coins

Grade Range: K-12
Resource Type(s): Artifacts, Primary Sources
Date Posted: 12/17/2010

Gold coins fused by heat.

Specific History
This pile of five-peseta coins was fused together by the fire aboard the Spanish ship Infanta Maria Teresa, flagship of Admiral Pascual Cervera.

General History
Infanta Maria Teresa led the sortie out of Santiago Bay on July 3, 1898. As the flagship of Admiral Pascual Cervera, it drew the bulk of the American fire. The Teresa was seriously damaged and on fire. An attempt was made to ram Commodore Winfield Schley's flagship, USS Brooklyn, but when that failed, Admiral Cervera ran theTeresa ashore, allowing his crew to be saved. Despite being ravaged by fire and magazine explosions, the United States Navy believed the Teresa was salvageable. It was refloated and taken to Guantanamo Bay for preliminary repairs. As it was towed to Norfolk, Virginia, for rebuilding, it was caught in a tropical storm. The tow line was cut, and the Teresa was lost at sea.


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