Potosí–Acapulco Silver Route

Timeline

1. c. 1581–1584Potosí · BoliviaThe Royal Mint at Potosí refined silver by amalgamation; Inca and local laborers mined it under the mita corvée, and silver bars were carried by mule train south to Chilean ports or north to Lima for assembly.
2. c. 1585–1587Acapulco · MexicoThe Manila galleons and the fleets of Mexico's west coast crossed the North Pacific once a year, bringing Peruvian silver to Acapulco, where it was exchanged for Asian goods from the Philippines.
3. c. 1588–1590Veracruz · MexicoSilver was carried overland from Acapulco and Puebla to Veracruz, loaded into Spanish treasure fleets for the Atlantic crossing, and entered Europe via Seville, feeding into the return trade system with Asia.