More than 300 years ago, a fleet of Spanish galleons set sail from the waters of the Americas, laden with vast amounts of treasure from the New World, including gold, silver, and gemstones. On July 31, 1715, a powerful hurricane devastated 11 of these ships, sending the vessels and their precious cargo to the ocean floor.
The rediscovery of the 1715 treasure fleet
The so-called 1715 treasure fleet lay untouched for more than two centuries off the coast of Florida. These sunken ships were finally discovered, and now a group of determined treasure hunters reports they have recovered more than 200 silver coins from the iconic wrecks.
Unexpected findings
“It was kind of numbing in a way, you know,” boat captain Grant Gitschlag told WOFL-TV on Friday. “You don’t expect that. You always hope for it, but you never expect it.”
Gitschlag and his crew, exploring the shipwrecks from their boat, the Lilly May, recently retrieved a total of 214 coins and other artefacts from the 1715 Treasure Fleet. This remarkable discovery is noteworthy given that the wrecks have been surveyed countless times before. “I wasn’t expecting it at all, which is how the greatest finds come about,” fellow treasure hunter Corinne Lea shared with WOFL-TV.
A message from the 1715 fleet queen’s jewels
1715 Fleet Queen’s Jewels, the company that owns exclusive salvage rights to the 1715 Treasure Fleet, posted a celebratory message on social media, highlighting Lilly May’s find as the “first treasure of the season.” The company also released a photo of the treasure hunters holding coins and an image displaying some of the other artefacts recovered from the historic shipwrecks. “Just a few days into the 2024 season, the crew of the M/V Lilly May (C-69) located a hot spot on one of our sites. So far, they have recovered over 200 silver cobs!” the operation wrote in a statement. “Well done to the Lilly May crew!”
Ongoing search and discoveries
The team told WOFL-TV that they have been searching for treasure together for years off the coast of Indian River County. Notably, some of the artefacts and coins from the 1715 fleet still wash up on Florida beaches today. In 2020, a treasure hunter using a metal detector on a beach discovered 22 silver coins from the legendary shipwrecks. “It’s all about the find,” Lea expressed to the station. “I love the history, being the first person up in 309 years to find what was once lost in a tragedy.”
The historical context
According to the National Park Service, pirates and vessels from other European countries often attempted to seize the expensive cargo from Spanish fleets throughout the 18th century, jeopardizing Spain’s dominance over the Americas. However, the greatest threat came not from treasure-seeking rivals but from unexpected hurricanes. The wrecks of two ships sunk by powerful storms — the Urca de Lima from the 1715 fleet and the San Pedro from the 1733 fleet — are protected as Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves. “These ships are time capsules from a bygone era and can reveal much about the history of the mighty maritime system that helped shape the Americas,” the park service noted.
1715 Fleet Queen’s Jewels, which describes itself as “the largest permitted historic shipwreck salvage operation in Florida waters,” states that by law, the state receives up to 20% of artefacts found at each site to display in museums. In 2015, the salvage operation announced the discovery of 350 gold coins worth an estimated $4.5 million from the sunken shipwrecks. Earlier that same year, the Schmitt family, a subcontractor of 1715 Fleet Queen’s Jewels, uncovered $1 million worth of artefacts. This latest discovery by the crew of the Lilly May continues the storied legacy of the 1715 Treasure Fleet, offering a glimpse into the rich maritime history of the New World and the enduring allure of its sunken treasures.