Over USD 400 million in Spanish coins recovered from 1715 Florida shipwreck
Divers have recovered more than 1,000 coins from a shipwreck off Florida’s east coast, part of the historic 1715 ‘Treasure Fleet’.
In a mind blowing incident, divers have recovered more than 1,000 coins from a shipwreck off Florida’s east coast, part of the historic 1715 ‘Treasure Fleet’ of Spanish ships that sank over 300 years ago.
The fleet, which is also called the ‘Plate Fleet,’ had left Cuba on July 24, 1715 carrying coins and valuable goods from Spanish colonies worth over USD 400 million.
Just a few days into the journey, a powerful hurricane struck, sinking 11 of the 12 ships and scattering their treasure across a 50-mile stretch of ocean. While some treasure was salvaged soon after, most of it remained underwater for centuries.
The recent discovery was made by 1715 Fleet, Queens Jewels, a company authorised to explore the wrecks. The team recovered more than 1,000 silver coins called reales, five gold coins known as escudos and other rare gold artifacts.
Many of the coins have mint marks and dates and their excellent condition suggests they came from a single collection that sank when a ship broke apart. Most coins were likely minted in Spanish colonies such as Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.
The recovered coins will reportedly be preserved and displayed at local museums, offering people a chance to connect with the sailors’ lives and the history of the 1715 fleet.
