Pieces of Eight BU Silver Round by Silver Shield at Golden State Mint

The Silver Shield Pieces of Eight physically represents the deadly history of silver. Praedatum In Mundo translates into “A Predatory World”. This defines the struggle of man against nature to extract this rare, precious metal, but also violent clashes of civilizations to control the treasure of the world. Perhaps the most brutal example of the dangers and deaths associated with silver, is the legendary Cerro de Potosí mine in Bolivia. The Potosí mine was known as the “mountain made of silver” or the “mountain that eats men”. Since the Spanish first forced indigenous populations to mine the mountain, an estimated 8 million souls have died mining silver out of that one mountain. The Silver Shield Pieces of Eight was styled after the original Spanish Dollar or Eight Reales coin. Like the original Spanish Dollar, the twin pillars of Hercules are adorned with the early manifest destiny motto of the Spanish Empire, PLVS VLTR, or "further beyond". These adorned pillars are also the reason why we have the dollar sign ($) today. https://www.goldenstatemint.com/1-oz-Pieces-of-Eight-BU-Silver-Round-999-Fine.html