Sebastian, FL. — Jackpot!
A treasure hunting company said Monday they’ve recovered more than $1 million in booty from a group of Spanish galleons that sank off the Florida coast in 1715.
The 1715 Fleet sank 300 years ago this week and was first discovered two years ago off Fort Pierce.
Queens Jewels, LLC, a historic shipwreck salvage operation, announced that it has recovered 60 gold artifacts from the shipwrecks.
The company said they have recovered 51 gold coins and 40 feet of ornate gold chain.
The centerpiece of their find is a single coin called a Royal, made for the King of Spain Phillip V, that is dated 1715.
When the ships were found in September 2013, the discovery gained worldwide notoriety. About 50 feet of gold chain and an gold filigree pyx were found in 2014 at the site.
The 1715 Fleet departed Havana on July 24, 1715 and was shipwrecked in a hurricane on July 31.
Despite the already impressive finds, the treasure hunters believe they are closing in a mother lode estimated to be worth $400 million including the Queen’s Jewels.
“These finds are important not just for their monetary value, but their historical importance,” said Brent Brisben, owner of 1715 Fleet-Queen’s Jewels, LLC said in a news release. “One of our key goals is to help learn from and preserve history, and this week’s finds draw us closer to those truths.”
