Divers Find $1 Million Worth of Rare Coins Off Florida’s ‘Treasure Coast’
NEED TO KNOW
- Divers in Florida recently discovered $1 million worth of rare coins off the coast of Florida
- The coins can be traced back to the 1715 Treasure Fleet, which sank in a hurricane in July of 1715
- It is estimated that $400 million worth of gold, silver and jewels was lost in the wreckage
Treasure hunters recently found $1 million worth of rare coins off the coast of Florida.
The discovery was announced on Thursday, Sept. 30, by 1715 Fleet — Queens Jewels, LLC. The private archeological company exclusively searches for treasure and artifacts from the 1715 Treasure Fleet, a fleet of Spanish ships that sank off the coast of Florida in 1715 while carrying massive amounts of precious cargo, per the organization’s official website.
1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels, LLC
“Over 1,000 silver coins known as reales were recovered by Capt. Levin Shavers and the crew of the M/V Just Right,” the company shared on their blog, adding that “five gold coins called escudos and other rare gold artifacts were recovered during the 2025 summer salvage season.”
1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels, LLC
The coins were found beneath “centuries of sand and sea,” and “are part of the vast fortune carried by the fleet,” which was transporting cargo to Spain, “when disaster struck on July 31, 1715,” according to the company.
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The fleet encountered a hurricane off the coast of Eastern Florida in an area now known as the Treasure Coast — named for the fact that a large number of shipwrecks took place there — and all but one of the fleet’s approximately 12 ships were destroyed. Historians estimate that as much as $400 million worth of precious metals were lost in the wreckage, “making it one of the greatest maritime tragedies — and treasures — of the Americas,” says the website.
1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels, LLC
Sal Guttuso, the archeological company’s Director of Operations, stressed that — money aside — the true value of the coins lies in their historical significance.
“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” he said, per the site.
He added, “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.”
“Every find helps piece together the human story of the 1715 Fleet. We are committed to preserving and studying these artifacts so future generations can appreciate their historical significance,” he continued.
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The coins will undergo a rigorous conservation process before being given to local museums for public display, according to the company.
