Argentine history: as taught and real

In the school, I learned about the INVASIONES INGLESAS of Buenos Aires in 1806 and the heroic resistance of the local patriots. Fake:  Beresford accepts his defeat (sic).

 It took me another 70 years to discover that the English had no intention of colonising Argentina; their motive was to seize the silver being exported to Spain through Buenos Aires, which they did with no resistance. Got the treasure and left. A few English soldiers deserted and married into the local aristocracy. Generations of Argentine children were taught that the British invaders had been completely defeated, so it is no surprise they expected to occupy the Falkland Islands easily. The Argentine Army surrendered as soon as the Royal Marines arrived.

 The prize carried off by the Narcissus to London consisted of more than 28300 kilograms of pure silver coins.  The treasure was divided into eighths according to the British Navy rules. Beresford and Popham took home the lion's share and became very wealthy. 

The Bank of England recorded 27 tons, 17 hundredweight, and 4 lbs of silver. Those are avoirdupois units (the ton/hundredweight system), so:

• 27 long tons × 2,240 lb = 60,480 lb
• 17 cwt × 112 lb = 1,904 lb
• 4 lb = 4 lb
• Total ≈ 62,388 lb avoirdupois ≈ 28,300 kg (28.3 tonnes)

Converted to troy ounces (how silver is priced): 28,300 kg ÷ 31.103 g = roughly 909,000–910,000 troy ounces. Silver is trading at roughly $59 per troy ounce right now — so the melt value of that hoard today:

≈ 910,000 troy oz × ~$59/oz ≈ $53–54 million USD (2026).

In actual pieces of eight (Spanish reales), it was about one million dollars (the sign $ means Spanish dollar).