The excitement of treasure hunters, who have discovered 1,000-plus silver and gold coins off Florida’s Atlantic coast. This extraordinary discovery has helped to revive widespread interest in the region’s deep maritime heritage. Scholars think those coins were produced in the Spanish colonies that today include Bolivia, Mexico and Peru. Their combined value is about $1 million. This remarkable find was made public earlier this week by 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels LLC, the shipwreck salvage firm in charge of the recovery.
The coins come out of the greatest treasure ever lost at sea on July 31, 1715. In 1554, a hurricane hit and wiped out an entire fleet of ships transporting these riches back to Spain. The storm claimed the vessels themselves, largely wrecking or sinking their precious cargo—all that cash money—to the bottom of the sea. Gold doubloons await discovery under the warm blue-green waters off Florida’s so-called “treasure coast.” For more than three hundred years, they’ve flown under the radar.
Each coin symbolizes a legacy of capital that extends far beyond dollars and cents. They transport us into the lives of the people who flourished in the golden age of the Spanish empire. It’s these artifacts that truly animate their stories. The recovery of such a large cache of coins in one expedition is both unusual and remarkable.
These coins were saved by a dedicated salvage team that has confirmed most of these coins have completely visible dates and mint marks. This provides historians and collectors with the valuable context necessary to understand the lost treasure. Sal Guttuso, director of operations for 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels LLC, reiterated the significance of this discovery.
“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” – Sal Guttuso
This discovery is of incalculable historical significance. It will prove invaluable to researchers and collectors alike, all eager to learn more about the historical context and significance of these coins. The law mandates that the state retain approximately 20% of the archaeological materials recovered. This makes sure that these national treasures are utilized in research or exhibited so that future generations can admire them.
Even historians and treasure seekers are spellbound by the recent find. This event is just the latest and most newsworthy step in Florida’s ongoing exploration of its glorious maritime past. Additional information about the coins and their history is now emerging. Together, these discoveries hold great potential to shed light on one of history’s most transformative centuries.