"Centuries ago, a fleet of Spanish ships laden with gold, silver and jewels taken from the New World was sailing back to Spain when a hurricane wrecked the flotilla on July 31, 1715, spilling the treasures into the sea, according to the 1715 Fleet Society. Over the years, millions of dollars in gold coins from the 1715 Fleet have been found by salvagers and treasure hunters in a coastal area stretching from Melbourne to Fort Pierce."
"This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells, Sal Guttuso, director of operations for the salvage company said in a statement. 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."
More than 1,000 silver and gold coins minted in Spanish colonies of Bolivia, Mexico and Peru were recovered off Florida's Atlantic coast and estimated at about $1 million in value. The coins originated from the 1715 Spanish fleet that sank during a hurricane on July 31, 1715. Dates and mint marks remain visible on some coins, aiding historians and collectors. Salvage teams use dive crews, boats, underwater metal detectors, and hand-fanning or sand suction to comb the seafloor. Past recoveries in the Treasure Coast area have yielded millions in gold coins and prompted theft investigations.
Read at Fortune
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