The treasure was found off the coast of Florida, US

Jul 29, 2015 07:23 GMT  ·  By

A centuries-old treasure worth an astounding $1 million (€0.9 million) was recovered by divers from the waters off the coast of Florida a few weeks ago, on June 17. 

The treasure was pulled from the remains of a fleet of 11 vessels that sunk in 1715 while en route from Cuba, then a Spanish colony, to Spain.

The Spanish ships, entrusted with transporting riches from the New World to Europe, were lost when a hurricane hit them just as they were sailing past present-day Florida.

According to historical records, the fleet sunk in the last couple of days of July 1715. Hence the fact that the discovery of the treasure was only made public this week, so that the announcement would coincide with the anniversary of the event.

“It was 300 years ago today that the 1715 fleet set sail from Havana towards its date with history,” Queens Jewels, LLC, which owns the rights to exploring the sunken ships, wrote in a Facebook post on July 24.

“The calm waters off Cuba that day were a stark contrast to what they would find along our shores just 7 days later. Stay tuned, we promise next week will be an exciting one for all who are interested in this historical event!” it tauntingly added.

Well, staying tuned really did pay off, as just days after this teasing post, Queens Jewels, LLC stepped forward and announced the recovery of dozens of coins and other artifacts from the sunken vessels.

The treasure lay hidden quite close to shore

The 300-year-old treasure divers recovered from the waters off the coast of Florida this past June was found some 1,000 feet (305 meters) off a beach in Fort Pierce, at a depth of merely 15 feet (4.5 meters).

It was discovered by underwater archaeologist / treasure hunter Eric Schmitt who, together with his wife, his parents and his sister, have been exploring the remains of the 1715 fleet for years now.

In an interview, Eric Schmitt detailed that it was during a morning dive that they found just one gold coin sticking out the sand. Soon enough, however, others started popping out. Eventually, the Schmitts found themselves pulling an entire treasure from the ocean floor.

“It was absolutely unreal,” the treasure hunter said in a statement. “I was blown away. I was literally shacking,” added Brent Brisben, co-founder of Queens Jewels, LLC.

So, what's so special about this treasure?

The Schmitt family has so far recovered 52 gold coins, 110 silver coins, 40 feet (roughly 12 meters) of gold chains, and a few buttons from the site of the 1715 wrecks. As mentioned, the loot is believed to be worth $1 million (€0.9 million).

Interestingly, historians say just one of the coins is worth about as much as all the other artifacts combined. This one coin, shown in the image below, is called a Tricentennial Royal and has an estimated value of $500,000 (around €452,000).

What makes it so very special is the fact that it was minted especially for King Philip V of Spain, Live Science explains. Also, it's perfectly round shape, obtained by pouring molten gold into a carefully designed mold.

In those days, money makers were not so much preoccupied with the shape of their coins as they were with the quality of the gold or the silver and with their weight. So, naturally, most coins came out looking ever so slightly deformed.

Being almost flawlessly executed, the Tricentennial Royal minted for King Philip V of Spain and found by the Schmitts in the waters off the coast of Florida is a rarity through and through. One worth a truck load of money, that is.

Following this seriously lucky strike, Eric Schmitt and his family plan to return to the area and further explore the sunken vessels in search of other artifacts.

Mind you, the treasure hunter believes the fleet still hides $440 million (nearly €398 million) worth of coins, jewels and the like, so it's no surprise he is eager to go back to poking the vessels' every nook and cranny and digging out the ocean floor around them.

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300-year-old tresure found off the coast of Florida
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