Collection: Luz

Nossa Senhora De Luz was a Portuguese ship which sank on July 2, 1752 during a storm off Montevideo, Uruguay.

Like the Capitana (1654) and 1733 Fleet, this wreck is a case for modern salvage of Spanish wrecks where all or most of the registered cargo was found in its own time, because contraband was always a factor and was generally abandoned if the ship did not make its destination. The Luz left Buenos Aires in the summer of 1752 with a load of money bound for Spain and had just stopped in Montevideo for provisioning when a strong storm swept her into the coastline, spreading wreckage over a wide area and killing all on board. While over 90% of the treasure was recovered soon afterward, the power-hold was never found, and as it turns out, that is where some 200,000 pesos (according to later reports) of contraband has been stores.