More than $1 million worth of gold and silver coins were recovered from a 310-year-old shipwreck off Florida’s Treasure Coast.
More than 1,000 silver coins, referred to as ‘Reales’, and five gold coins, known as escudos, in addition to other gold artifacts, were retrieved from the remnants of a ship that was part of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet, which foundered in a hurricane on July 31, 1715.
The million-dollar discovery was unearthed during the ‘2025 summer salvage season’ by Captain Levin Shavers and his crew aboard the M/V Just Right.
‘This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,’ Sal Guttuso, director of operations for Queens Jewels LLC, which holds the exclusive salvage rights to the fleet, said.
‘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.’
The 1715 fleet was carrying vast wealth from the New World back to Spain when it was caught in a storm and sank off Florida’s east coast.
More than $1 million worth of gold and silver coins were recovered from a 310-year-old shipwreck off Florida ‘s Treasure Coast (pictured)
Over 1,000 silver coins, known as ‘Reales’, and five gold coins, called escudos were recovered from the wreckage of a ship that was part of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet, which sank during a hurricane on July 31, 1715
Historians estimate the fleet lost as much as $400 million in gold, silver, and jewels, making it one of the largest maritime disasters – and treasure troves – in the Americas.
The recently recovered coins were minted in Spanish colonies including Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia, with many still bearing legible dates and mint marks, according to a news release from the jewel company.
Experts believe the condition of the coins suggests they were part of a single chest or shipment that spilled when the ship broke apart in the storm.
‘The best way I can describe it is if you lose something you really, really like and you’ve almost come to terms with it just never being found again, and then, all of a sudden, it shows up,’ Shavers said. ‘It’s just such an awesome feeling.’
The discovery was made in waters off Florida’s Treasure Coast – a stretch of coastline that includes Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties.
A gemstone and fragments of a gold chain were also recovered (pictured)
The million-dollar discovery was unearthed during the ‘2025 summer salvage season’ by Captain Levin Shavers (pictured) and his crew aboard the M/V Just Right
The coins will now undergo conservation before being displayed publicly. Queens Jewels said plans are underway for select pieces to be exhibited in local museums
The 1715 fleet was carrying vast wealth from the New World back to Spain when it was caught in a storm and sank off Florida’s east coast
The area is known for yielding shipwreck artifacts from the 1715 fleet, which has attracted decades of salvage efforts.
The coins will now undergo conservation before being displayed publicly. Queens Jewels said plans are underway for select pieces to be exhibited in local museums.
‘Every find helps piece together the human story of the 1715 fleet,’ Guttuso said.
‘We are committed to preserving and studying these artifacts so future generations can appreciate their historical significance.’
