Florida Family Finds $1 Million in Gold From Sunken Spanish Ship

A Florida family who has hunted treasure for years found more than US$1 million (RM3.819 million) worth of gold artifacts this summer from the wreckage of a 1715 Spanish fleet that sank in the Atlantic, according to a salvage company’s estimate.

The Sentinel reported that Schmitt found the gold while diving off Fort Pierce, just north of Port St. Lucie, while on his annual treasure-hunting trip with his wife, sister, and parents.

“The treasure was actually found a month ago”, said Brent Brisben of 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels LLC.

Officials from Queen Jewels, LLC, an historic shipwreck salvage operation that owns exclusive salvage rights to 1715 Treasure Fleet, said they have recovered approximately 60 gold artifacts from the shipwrecks.

Among the findings is a rare coin called a “Royal” that was destined for the King of Spain. Eleven galleons laden with treasures from the New World and returning to Spain departed from Havana, Cuba, on July 24, 1715, and were shipwrecked in a hurricane a week later.

As many as 1,000 lives were lost in the maritime disaster July 31, 1715.

Brisben’s firm bought the rights to the site in 2010 from the heirs of the legendary treasure Mel Fisher.

The gold chains are made of small, handcrafted, two-sided links of six-petaled olive blossoms.

In addition, 40 feet of gold chain recovered is believed to be a tax-free alternative to coins, often called a money chain.

Eric Schmitt and his family found 52 gold coins worth more than United States dollars 1 million with the star of the haul being an extremely rare coin known as a “Tricentennial Royal” minted in 1715.

A press conference about the Schmitt family’s find is scheduled for noon Tuesday at Capt. Hiram’s in Sebastian. The gold treasure was discovered by the Schmidt family, who were subcontracted to salvage valuable pieces from the wreckage. Under federal and state laws, Florida will get up to 20 percent of the find to display in a museum.

The Schmitts are subcontractors of Brisben’s company, and have had success in their searches in each of the past two years.

– Queens Jewels. They also discovered 50 feet of gold chain in 2013 and a gold filigree pyx in 2014. Keeping the news under wraps was “particularly hard for the family that found it. They’ve been beside themselves”.