Divers off the coast of Florida have discovered the treasure of the legendary Spanish Armada of 1715 – more than 1,000 gold and silver coins that had lain on the seafloor for three centuries.
Off the coast of Florida, divers have made a sensational discovery: they have recovered more than 1,000 Spanish gold and silver coins from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, which sank more than 300 years ago. The total value of the find is estimated at approximately one million dollars.
The treasure belongs to the legendary fleet of 1715 – a Spanish Armada of eleven ships that carried gold, silver, and jewels from the New World to Spain. However, on the night of July 31 of that year, the fleet was caught in a powerful hurricane and sank off the coast of present-day Florida. The storm claimed the lives of more than 1,000 sailors and scattered valuables along the coast, which later became known as the “Treasure Coast.” This was reported by Arkeonews.
The new discovery was made by the Salty Dog crew, led by Captain Doug Leith. Divers from 1715 Fleet – Queen’s Jewels LLC, which holds exclusive rights to explore the wreck, recovered 968 silver reals and 110 gold escudos. Among the artifacts is a unique “Tricentennial Royal” coin, minted specifically for King Philip V, making it particularly valuable to historians and numismatists.
According to experts, the significance of the discovery extends far beyond its monetary value. Each item is a testament to the era, revealing new details about maritime trade, shipbuilding technologies, and the economic ties of the 18th-century Spanish Empire.
Despite the fact that some of the treasure has already been recovered in the three centuries since the disaster, experts are certain that hundreds of thousands of coins and other relics still lurk on the Atlantic seabed, awaiting discovery.
