Treasure Hunters find $4.5 million in rare Spanish coins from 18th century shipwreck

Florida treasure hunters found a trove of $4.5m worth of Spanish gold coins 300 years to the day after a fleet of ships sunk in a hurricane while en route from Havana to Spain, the salvage owner has said.

The 350 coins found on July 30 include nine rare pieces, known as royal eight escudos, which were being transported to the King of Spain, according to Brent Brisben. His company, 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels, owns the rights to the wreckage.

Only 20 such coins were known to exist prior to the recovery of the nine royals, Brisben said.

“The gold looks like it fell into the water yesterday,” said William Bartlett, 51, the diver who spotted the haul.

Bartlett was part of a three-man crew aboard Brisben’ boat S/V Capitana when it found coins in shallow waters off Vero Beach, Florida. The search site was picked because it was close to a previous discovery.

On the same day in 1715, a hurricane tossed 11 treasure-laden Spanish galleons on to reefs off Florida’ East Coast, sinking them in the early hours the following morning. Today, the wreckage is scattered over a wide area.

   

The coins found by Bartlett are part of the now-scattered treasure transported by the galleons, which have since broken up.

Bartlett said the crew used the boat propeller to blow a hole in the sandy ocean floor to reach bedrock eight feet (2.4m) down. The salvage operation lasted five days.

Like many Florida treasure hunters, Bartlett, a Pompano Beach kitchen and bathroom remodeler, dives as a hobby.

He said he did not hunt treasure for the money, and declined to say how much he would receive under contract with 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels.

“I’m just a guy on a boat living the dream,” Bartlett said.

Hunters like Bartlett typically work under contract with the company, which grants them a percentage of their find after the state of Florida exercises its right to 20% of the haul.

The company acquired legal custodianship of the sunken fleet from the heirs of world-renowned treasure hunter Mel Fisher.Florida treasure hunters find $4.5 million in rare Spanish coins from 18th century shipwreck

Related Posts

Juarez Machado and His Sentient Tango Dancers, as well as Ode to Shunga

The nοw eighty-yeаr οld Brаziliаn аrtiѕt Juаrez Mасhаdο (bοrn in Jοyneville οn Mаrсh 16, 1941) саn lοοk bасk οn а very prοduсtive саreer in whiсh he hаѕ…

Greece’s Mythology and Life After deаtһ

The concept of аn аfterlife iѕ not а noνel one. Mаny Weѕtern religionѕ, аѕ well аѕ South Aѕiаn аnd Africаn oneѕ, belieνe in ѕome form of life…

What Are the Top 15 News Letters for 2020?

ՕK I аdmіt…I’m а ѕᴜсkeг fοг ɩіѕtѕ! Tһe fοɩɩοwіпɡ ɩіѕt οf οᴜг 15 mοѕt ѕeпѕᴜаɩ (гeаd ⱱіewed) пewѕɩetteгѕ ɡіⱱeѕ а пісe гeⱱіew οf οᴜг асtіⱱіtіeѕ іп 2020,…

Prepare yourself for some infamously graphic octopus images.

Iп аddіtіoп to oпe of oᴜг moѕt гeаd агtісɩeѕ аЬoᴜt tһe іпfɩᴜeпсe of Hokᴜѕаі Jарапeѕe ɡгeаteѕt агtіѕt іп һіѕtoгу Kаtѕᴜѕһіkа Hokᴜѕаі (1760-1849) exсeɩɩed іп аɩɩ ᴜkіуo-e ɡeпгeѕ….

Learn about the wackiest, outlandish, and most extгeme works of art produced tһгoᴜɡһoᴜt the first half of the 20th century.

Discover the most Ьіzаггe, outrаgeous, аnd extгeme Ѕᴇх аrt ever creаted in the first hаlf of the 20th century. Ƅelieve it or not, soмe of the мost…

Jeff Fender’s A Little Ьіt of Bumfuckery and Oral Deceits

Below two new works by the Amerіcаn shungа Shungа, а genre wіthіn ukіyo-e dіsplаyіng the Eгᴏтɪᴄ secrets of аncіent Jаpаn. These prіnts where commonly creаted by usіng…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *