Privateers from France attacked Spanish ships and colonies in the late 1500s. Privateers were state-sponsored pirates who in time of war a country offered privateering licenses where unlike piracy this was an entirely legal arrangement. The Spanish ships attacked contained several tons of gold, dozens of cloth bags, over 500 pounds of gold dust, pearls. The privateering attack became one of the greatest and richest haul o the century.
The French authorities were perplexed and knew these ships from the Spanish colonies on. Among the treasure were other strange objects including beautifully engraved gold rings, golden helmets topped with feathers, and eye-catching feather cloaks among exotic gold carvings.