Atocha bar from the left side - Note the bold P1622 date! Numerous round tax stamps (Quintos) can be
seen on the surface and I detect five in total (an unusually high number). The "A" stamp indicates
that this is a "King's Bar" or a bar that was the property of the Royal Hacienda. It has no personal
monograms meaning the bar was being shipped separately for delivery to the Spanish Crown to pay
the owner's debts. Many times these bars were used as payment for the purchase of Mercury,
a key component in the refining process of silver. The double assayer scoop on top indicates
the bar was cast at the Potosí mint. The assayer tested the purity of the bar twice to
confirm the metal's fineness and kept the scooped portions as payment for his services.

Atocha bar from the left side -  The bold roman "UXLI" next to the date indicates the bar's
mintage number - that being #1041. The roman numerals below indicate fineness (2380/2400).
To the right of the fineness number is the assayer's cartouche and it appears to be MEXIA.

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