It’s a remarkable find!
Officials have announced the recovery of more than $1 million worth of precious items from a shipwreck belonging to a Spanish fleet that sank over 300 years ago.
This discovery was made last summer by Captain Levin Shaver and his team while exploring the wreck, which went down during a hurricane off the Florida Treasure Coast back in July 1715. The recovery rights belong to Queen’s Jewels LLC, which is involved in searching for the 1715 Fleet.
According to the company, five gold coins known as “escudos” and around 1,000 silver coins referred to as “reales” were found, hidden beneath layers of sand and sea for centuries.
Experts estimate the value of this trove to be about $1 million.
This discovery adds to the estimated $400 million in gold, silver, and precious gems that were lost when the fleet sank during a journey intended to return riches from the New World to Spain, a tragedy often described as one of the worst maritime disasters in history.
The wreckage, located along Florida’s East Coast during the storm, has come to be known as the “Treasure Coast.”
“This find isn’t just about the treasure; it also tells a story,” said Sal Gutsso, the director of Queen’s Jewels, in a statement.
The coins will be carefully preserved for future display. They were minted in Spanish colonies in Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia, with dates and mint marks still visible even after three centuries.
“Each coin connects us to those who lived, worked, and traveled during the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire. It’s quite rare, you know, to discover so many in one go,” Guttuso remarked.
The condition of the coins has led experts to believe that they might have come from a single chest or from a ship that spilled its cargo when it was caught in the brutal hurricane.
Once recovered, the coins will undergo meticulous conservation before being displayed at a local museum in Florida.
“Every discovery helps piece together the human stories of the 1715 fleet,” Guttuso added. “We are dedicated to preserving and studying these artifacts so that future generations can appreciate their historical significance.”
