Hidden beneath Florida’s Treasure Coast, divers have uncovered more than 1,000 silver and gold coins linked to the famed 1715 Fleet shipwreck. The recovery, announced by 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels LLC this week, is valued at approximately $1 million.
The coins, believed to have been minted in Bolivia, Mexico, and Peru, were lost at sea when a hurricane struck on July 31, 1715, destroying much of Spain’s returning fleet and scattering its fortune across the Atlantic seabed.
A Legacy of Lost Spanish Wealth
Over centuries, salvage teams and treasure hunters have unearthed millions in gold and silver along the stretch of coastline from Melbourne to Fort Pierce. The newly discovered coins remain in remarkable condition, with dates and mint marks still visible, offering historians and collectors fresh insight into the Spanish colonial trade network.
“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” said Sal Guttuso, director of operations for Queens Jewels. “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.”
Florida Law and Ownership Disputes
Treasure hunting in Florida waters remains tightly regulated. Under state law, all artifacts recovered from state-owned lands or waters are considered property of the state. Salvage companies may apply for permits to conduct recovery work, but 20% of the haul must be retained by the state for research or public exhibition.
The discovery also comes after a case last year, when dozens of coins were stolen from a salvage site by a crew member’s relative working under contract with Queens Jewels. Florida officials later recovered the stolen gold.
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The Ongoing Allure of the 1715 Fleet Treasure
The 1715 Fleet continues to capture global fascination, both as a symbol of the riches Spain drew from its colonies and as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can vanish at sea. With each new recovery, historians gain a clearer understanding of transatlantic trade and the lives connected to it — while modern-day explorers continue the centuries-old search for treasure along Florida’s Atlantic coast.
