$1 Million in Gold Coins Found off Florida’s Treasure Coast

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  Discovery: Divers from the salvage company 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels LLC uncovered more than 1,000 silver and gold coins this summer off Florida’s Atlantic coast, valued at about $1 million.
• Historical Context: The coins trace back to the 1715 Spanish Fleet, a convoy of ships carrying treasure from the Americas to Spain that sank in a hurricane on July 31, 1715.
• Provenance: Coins were minted in Spanish colonies such as Bolivia, Mexico, and Peru. Some still bear visible dates and mint marks, offering valuable historical insights.
• Significance: Sal Guttuso, the company’s operations director, emphasized that each coin is a “piece of history” linking back to the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire.
• Methods: The team used boats, dive crews, underwater metal detectors, and sand suction techniques to recover the coins.
• Legal Framework: Florida law requires that about 20% of recovered artifacts be kept by the state for research or museum display. The rest is divided between the salvage company and subcontractors, under federal court oversight.
• Past Issues: In 2024, Florida officials recovered stolen coins from the wreck, taken by a family member of a contracted salvager.
• Public Benefit: Guttuso stressed that the treasures ultimately benefit Floridians, as many end up in museums for public viewing.
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• https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/09/30/gold-treasure-found-florida-treasure-hunt-coins/86341928007/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1715_Treasure_Fleet