Featured Chinese red coral Good Luck "talisman"

My late wife inherited this from her mother. It has a Certificate of Authenticity completed and signed by Sir Robert F. Marx. It was found at the wreck site of the Flor do Mar by Marx. It is dated no-later than 1480 - 1500 AD. It has a small diameter hole through its center running from top to bottom. Trying to get an approximate worth.

 

Hello, Howard. Others with more knowledge will get here, but it just looks wrong to me. It would help us if you would post additional photos taken of other sides, including at least one of the drill hole. (Compliments on this photo.)

I have to question whether the COA itself is authentic. Don't know what the governing law would have been in 1991 concerning Marx's rights to treasure found in the Flor do Mar wreck.

 

Welcome, Howard.

In spite of rumours there is no evidence the Flor do Mar was ever located. Apparently they only know in which general area the wreck could be, and Portugal, Indonesia and Malaysia are still in a dispute over salvage rights should it ever be found.

Your bead does not look like antique coral to me. It looks like a post-1980 bead.
There was much controversy over Marx's methods and claims.
He was not a sir, btw, which is a British title. Apparently he was awarded something in the Spanish order of Isabella. I don't know exactly which one because the 'titles' I found have nothing to do with the actual titles of the order of Isabella.

 

Nor does it look like it was in saltwater for nearly 500 years. Even if in some kind of container, doubt anyplace would have escaped the seawater.

 

It looks like it was dyed too.

 

Yes, and liberally. It's really a shame such things get on the market. I imagine @Howard Alward 's mother in law would have bought the piece before you could readily get info on the Internet the way we did.

 

Frankly, I have my doubts this is even natural coral. Maybe dyed reconstituted, but resin is a definite possibility.

 

Well, yes, I'm aware of Robert's notoriety. He was a local around these parts. Here's some more pics.

 

There seems to be a whitish spot near the bottom beadhole. It could be heavily dyed bamboo coral, so after 1980.
Or resin with a whitish spot.

 

The mother-in-law probably got in an auction at a local fund raiser.

 

Great pix but do not make a case for 500 year old coral & may support AJ's suggestion of resin.

At least then the money went to a good cause.

 

To elaborate, , , , this item was acquired at a fund raiser for the Florida Institute of Technology here in Melbourne. The item was personally donated by Marx. I doubt that Marx would have taken such "liberties" at an institution that he supported. But, your guess is as good as mine in that regard. Now, and otherwise, yes, perhaps "dyed" coral but, perhaps not resin; the color would generally be very homogenous if resin (in my experience, I pigment and use poly and epoxy resins every day).

 

Even if the wreck was found, if rights to cargo are in a 3-way dispute, I really have to question whether Marx would have yet been given a finder's share, unless all 3 agreed on how much & what he could take.

 

He dove on the "site" in 1990 and 1991.

 

It has a Certificate of Authenticity completed and signed by Sir Robert F. Marx.

I think we'd like to see that !

 

Are you sure?

 

Interesting....All I did was Google the shipwreck.....the stories are rampant about it never having been found, but many have tried!!!! They still look...........one of many sites....Bob Marx is mentioned.....

http://www.oceantreasures.org/pages...-the-world-scam-or-legend-to-become-true.html

 

For me, no matter what is written on the COA...
This artifact has nothing to be a 500 years old coral
Time to try some physical tests...

Welcome to Antiquers, Howard Alward