Salvaged from the Atocha, this piece of jewelry was worn by Mel Fisher during his 1985 appearance on the "Johnny Carson Show," and was his personal favorite. When Johnny inquired as to how much this gold chain was worth, Mel famously quipped, "It may pay a couple months of your alimony." The Spanish Royals in the Colonial era established what was known as the quinto, or the "royal fifth," a tariff which entitled the King to 20% of everything that was being shipped back to Spain. However, if you had the means to have your gold made into a chain, you could wear it around your neck as jewelry and avoid the royal tax altogether. Known as a "money chain," each link is of equal size and weight and none were soldered together, so the owner could twist off a link and use it in place of formal currency.

Artifact #: 1584-1
Shipwreck: Atocha 1622. Recovered in 1975.
Weight: 645.0 grams, 172 Links
Dimensions: 171.5cm L

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