"The Buccaneers" was a British television program produced from 1956 to 1957. It ran on the American CBS network in the late 1950's. It was a one-half hour program about ex-pirates living in the Bahamas in the early 1700's. This episode is titled "Hurricane" and was first broadcast on March 13, 1957. A hurricane damages the town and sinks a Spanish treasure ship. A man arrives with two Spanish gold "cob" escudo coins which appear to be somewhat good imitations of real coins.

Captain Dan Tempest is the commander of the Sultana, a former pirate ship. The captain and his crew live in the town of New Providence in the Bahamas. A hurricane damages the town and sinks a Spanish treasure ship. A Spanish fisherman arrives and gives Armando, one of Captain Tempest's men, two Spanish gold escudo coins.

The coins are then shown.

The coins are Spanish "cob" style coins which were minted in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are called "cob" coins because they were crudely made by chopping pieces of gold or silver off the ends of metal bars which were then struck by coin dies. A Spanish word for "end" was "cabo" which became "cob" in English. The coins in the program appear to be somewhat good imitations of real coins. The fisherman dumps a bag full of coins onto a table.

Armando tosses a coin to his wife Maria.

Maria performs the usual coin test. The fisherman offers to pay for passage out of the area but Captain Tempest realizes that he is a Spanish officer from a Spanish treasure shop. Captain Tempest decides to recover the treasure to pay for the repairs to the town. The Sultana arrives at the sunken ship's location. Captain Tempest and Armando hire some natives to dive and recover the treasure. The captain holds a net full of coins.

Robert Shaw as Captain Dan Tempest
Edwin Richfield as Crewman Armando
Gillian Owen as Maria
Director: Leslie Arliss
Writers: Terence Moore, Peggy Phillips