Treasure hunters have recovered over 1,000 silver and gold coins from a 1715 Spanish shipwreck off Florida’s Treasure Coast, with the total haul being valued at around $1 million.
The coins include silver reales and gold escudos, some bearing visible mint marks, and were discovered during salvage operations by 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels LLC.
The fleet originally ferrying the currency sank in a hurricane on July 31, 1715, while carrying precious cargo from the New World to Spain.
What happens next?
Per a blog post from Queen Jewels LCC, all of the recovered coinage will undergo “careful conservation” before going on public display at local museums and elsewhere.
Under Florida law, artifacts found in state waters belong to the state, though licensed salvagers can recover and share a portion under permit.
“Each coin is a piece of history, a tangible link to the people who lived, worked, and sailed during the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire. Finding 1,000 of them in a single recovery is both rare and extraordinary,” Queen Jewels LCC director of operations, Sal Guttuso, said.
