A salvage crew has discovered a treasure trove of gold and silver coins worth an estimated $1 million from the wreck of a Spanish fleet that sank more than 300 years ago.
According to a news release from Queens Jewels, LLC—the company that owns the salvage rights to the 1715 fleet—the find was made this summer by Captain Levin Shavers and his crew while working on the wreck site off Florida’s Treasure Coast.
The fleet, which sank during a hurricane in July 1715, was carrying enormous riches from the New World back to Spain when disaster struck, resulting in one of the most significant maritime tragedies in history.
The latest discovery includes:1,000 silver coins known as Reales, Five gold coins called Escudos and Several other rare gold artifacts
The artifacts were found preserved beneath centuries of sand and sea, making the recovery particularly remarkable.
Experts estimate the coins are valued at $1 million, though they are part of a much larger loss. The Spanish fleet carried an estimated $400 million worth of gold, silver, and jewels, most of which remain lost beneath the ocean.
In a statement, Sal Guttuso, Director of Queens Jewels, said:
“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells.
“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,”
“Every find helps piece together the human story of the 1715 fleet.
“We are committed to preserving and studying these artifacts so future generations can appreciate their historical significance.
