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Divers recovered 214 coins and other artifacts from an exclusive salvage site off Florida’s Atlantic coast in only a couple of days, according to Fox News’ June 22, 2024 report. A later Daily Galaxy headline, published October 14, 2026, described the haul more broadly as more than 200 silver “cob” coins. The objects came from wrecks of Spain’s 1715 Treasure Fleet, destroyed by a hurricane while carrying wealth from the Americas back to Europe.
What the divers found
The reported recovery totaled 214 coins and other artifacts. The broader description of more than 200 silver cob coins refers to the same short salvage effort, rather than a separately documented discovery. “Cob” coins were irregularly shaped Spanish pieces struck by hand, so their edges and surfaces often look markedly different from modern, machine-made currency.
Boat captain Grant Gitschlag said, “You always hope for it, but you never expect it.” He also called the quantity recovered in a couple of days “a very exciting start.” Treasure hunter Corinne Lea emphasized the historical dimension, saying she valued being “the first person up in 309 years to find what was once lost in a tragedy.”
Why the 1715 fleet sank
The fleet left Cuba for Spain in July 1715. The National Park Service describes the return fleets as armed convoys that moved New World wealth to Spain from the mid-16th through the mid-18th centuries. Their cargoes could include silver, gold, gemstones, tobacco, spices and indigo.
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A hurricane struck off Florida. Miguel de Lima, owner of the Urca de Lima, later described the sun disappearing, winds increasing from the east and east-northeast, and enormous seas pushing ships toward shallow water and shore. The National Park Service identifies hurricanes as the greatest danger faced by these fleets.
Accounts differ slightly on the fleet’s starting size. Popular Mechanics reported that 12 ships began the voyage, 11 sank and nearly 900 people died. The National Park Service’s account focuses on 11 Spanish ships ravaged by the hurricane. Both accounts establish the central event: a catastrophic storm scattered the fleet along Florida’s coast.
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The fleet’s cargo and estimated loss
The ships were transporting accumulated colonial wealth, not a single uniform shipment of coins. Silver formed a major part of the cargo, but records also describe gold, gems and commercial goods. Popular Mechanics cited an estimated loss of 14 million pesos. That figure is an estimate rather than a fully documented modern valuation, and it should not be treated as the present market value of the newly recovered coins.
Who controls the salvage site?
Fox News identified Sal Guttuso’s 1715 Fleet Queen’s Jewels LLC as the exclusive salvor and custodian in the U.S. District Court for the project described in its report. “Exclusive salvor” refers to the party authorized to conduct recovery work at a specified wreck site under the applicable court and ownership arrangements; it does not mean every object from every 1715 Fleet wreck has a single unrestricted private owner.
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The legal status of individual artifacts can depend on the particular wreck, court orders, title claims and government requirements. The 1715 Fleet project’s own website is the named online source for its operations, but current access rules, commercial arrangements and display plans require direct confirmation rather than assumptions based on the older report.
Why the coins matter archaeologically
These objects are evidence of a maritime disaster as well as precious metal. Their positions, corrosion, associated cargo and relationship to the wreck field can help researchers reconstruct how the storm broke up the convoy and moved material across the seabed. The National Park Service says shipwrecks from the treasure fleets later became underwater archaeological preserves, where context is part of the historical value.
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Removing a coin without recording its location can destroy information about the wreck. Professional recovery therefore involves more than locating targets: teams document positions, identify materials, stabilize objects and preserve records that connect each artifact to the site.
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The “couple of days” description concerns the period in which the reported haul was recovered, not the entire history of searching the 1715 Fleet wrecks. The site has been explored for generations, while a productive run can occur when weather, visibility, seabed conditions and the target area align. Gitschlag’s comments characterize the find as an early, unusually productive start rather than a complete accounting of everything still underwater.
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What is known—and not known—about value
- Known from the report: 214 coins and other artifacts were recovered, with the coins described as silver cob coins.
- Not established: a reliable combined auction or appraisal value for this particular haul.
- Important qualifier: historical rarity, condition, mint, date, provenance and legal title can affect value, while archaeological context may be more significant than bullion content.
- Do not confuse: the estimated 14-million-peso fleet loss with the present value of 214 recovered objects.
The key facts at a glance
| Detail | Reported information |
|---|---|
| Recovery | 214 coins and other artifacts |
| Coin description | More than 200 silver cob coins |
| Location | Exclusive salvage site off Florida’s Atlantic coast |
| Wreck event | Hurricane destruction in 1715 |
| Fleet losses | 11 of 12 ships sunk; nearly 900 deaths, according to Popular Mechanics |
| Reported salvor | 1715 Fleet Queen’s Jewels LLC, identified by Fox News |
| Fleet-loss estimate | 14 million pesos, an estimate cited by Popular Mechanics |
Why this discovery is unusual
Finding a few centuries-old coin is notable; recovering more than 200 silver pieces in a short operating window is exceptional because storms dispersed wreck material, sediment can conceal targets and repeated salvage has already removed many accessible objects. The recovery also connects a modern diving operation to a documented human disaster: a convoy carrying wealth across the Atlantic was overtaken by weather that crews could not outrun.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many coins were recovered from the Florida shipwreck site?
Fox News reported 214 coins and other artifacts. A later account described the same haul as more than 200 silver cob coins.
When did the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet sink?
The fleet left Cuba in July 1715 and was wrecked off Florida by a hurricane during its voyage to Spain.
Did all 12 ships sink?
Popular Mechanics reported that 11 of 12 ships were lost and nearly 900 people died.
Who was identified as the exclusive salvor?
Fox News identified Sal Guttuso’s 1715 Fleet Queen’s Jewels LLC as the exclusive salvor and U.S. District Court custodian for the reported site.
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