Treasure worth $1million found on Spanish wreck from 18th century!

Another amazing find by the Schmitt family from Florida! An extremely rare gold coin from the beginning of the 18th century worth a fortune waited for 300 years to return to the surface. Together with it, treasure hunters managed to find more than 50 other gold coins. In total, the whole booty is worth approx. $1 million!

-- Advertisement --

Eric Schmitt and his family run a treasure hunting business. Scouring the ocean floor, he usually comes across empty soda and beer cans or broken fishing lures. Usually. Because on this day, things were a little different…

While checking around a wreck located at a depth of about 5 metres near Fort Pierce, Florida, Eric came across something far more valuable than piles of aluminium or the best bait in the world. Poseidon was exceptionally gracious that day and gifted our hero with 52 gold coins that have been traced back to the early 18th century.

It might seem that half a hundred gold coins is not very much. Of course, even pulling them out of the sandy bottom, Eric could expect that the find would boost his finances a little, but after a thorough examination it turned out that the coins are worth a total of about $1 million! You have to admit, it’s not every day you earn that kind of money.

Why such a price? Well, among the found numismats there is one, which is extremely rare and its value is estimated at the level of $500,000. “Tricentennial Royal” is a real white raven among coin collectors. A golden trinket, which can seriously change the financial situation of every prospector.

After a giant hurricane had shattered the Spanish fleet 300 years earlier (11 out of 12 vessels bound for Spain sank), gold was waiting for its new owner hidden in the sandy bottom. Among them the “Tricentennial Royal”, which was in perfect condition. According to available information, apart from this freshly fished one, only 6 pieces exist in the world! All because this coin was never intended to be put into circulation.

Gold coins from 300 years ago are not the first find made by the Schmitt family. They already have to their credit gold chains with a total length of almost 20 metres found in 2013, while in the summer of 2014 the Schmitts found a piece of an ornamented gold vessel for the Eucharist hidden in the bottom. They found an ornate fragment of a gold vessel for storing the Eucharist hidden in the bottom. Each time, the treasures were found near Fort Pierce, at a shallow depth and about 50 metres from the shore.

Experts estimate that despite some of the lost treasure being fished out and recovered in the years following the storm and by prospectors in recent years, there is about $400 million in gold and silver on the bottom off the coast of Florida. No wonder, then, that new enthusiasts keep arriving on the scene hoping that luck will smile on them.

Source: maritime-executive.com