In an extraordinary underwater archaeology project, over 1,000 silver and gold coins have been retrieved from the wreckage of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet that sank along Florida’s Treasure Coast. The fleet was carrying an immense fortune—estimated at $400 million—which was scattered during a hurricane.
The coins, called Reales and Escudos, originated in Spanish colonies like Mexico and Bolivia and are in remarkably good condition, indicating they were likely stored together until the ship was wrecked. Among the artifacts, mint marks and dates remain clearly visible even after centuries underwater.
Sal Guttuso, operations director for the salvage company Queens Jewels, highlighted how the find links us to “the people who lived, worked, and sailed during the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire.”
Plans are underway to carefully restore and exhibit the prized coins in museums throughout Florida, connecting people today with one of history’s greatest maritime stories.
