More than three centuries after a violent storm swallowed one of history’s most famous treasure fleets, the sea has finally given some of it back.
Treasure hunters working off Florida’s Atlantic coast have uncovered an extraordinary haul of silver and gold coins – more than 1,000 pieces in total – with an estimated value of $1 million. The discovery was made during an active salvage operation at a shipwreck linked to the infamous 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet, a convoy that vanished in a catastrophic hurricane nearly 310 years ago.
The find was announced this year by 1715 Fleet–Queens Jewels LLC, the company that holds legal salvage rights to the wrecks scattered along Florida’s southeastern shoreline, a stretch fittingly known as the “Treasure Coast.”
According to researchers, the coins originated from Spanish colonies in what is now Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico. Many were remarkably well preserved, having rested for centuries beneath thick layers of sand. Dates and mint marks are still visible, suggesting the coins were once packed together in a single chest or shipment when the ship went down.
The original fleet was transporting immense colonial wealth back to Spain when it was caught in a ferocious storm on July 31, 1715. Historical estimates suggest the fleet lost as much as $400 million worth of gold, silver, and jewels — making it one of the greatest maritime disasters, and treasure losses, in the history of the Americas.
“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” said Sal Guttuso, director of operations for the salvage company. “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.”
Modern recovery efforts are conducted under strict state supervision and archaeological guidelines, blending cutting-edge technology with careful historical preservation. Officials say the newly recovered coins will now undergo an extensive conservation process before being studied by experts.
Researchers hope the artifacts will shed new light on the final moments of the ill-fated fleet and the global trade networks that fueled Spain’s empire during the 18th century.
“Every find helps piece together the human story of the 1715 fleet,” Guttuso said. “We are committed to preserving and studying these artifacts so future generations can appreciate their historical significance.”
Once conserved, select pieces from the treasure will be displayed in museums across Florida – offering the public a rare chance to see history pulled straight from the ocean floor, where it waited silently for more than three hundred years.
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