A Florida family of professional treasure hunters has struck gold after discovering over $1 million worth of coins and jewelry in a huge Spanish shipwreck from the 18th century, Florida Today reports.
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Eric Schmitt found the artefacts in 15ft (4.5m) of water off Fort Pierce, approximately 130 miles (210km) north of Miami.
The salvage operation recovered 51 gold coins and 40 feet of ornate gold chain. About 1,000 people died, while another 1,500 were able to swim to shore. Along with the Schmitt family, they hope to locate the queen’s jewels.
Sir Robert Marx, a renowned underwater archaeologist and deep sea explorer, will speak about the 1715 Fleet wrecked off the coast of Florida at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Gleason Performing Arts Center at Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne. Being recovered exactly 300 years after its creation earned it the nickname “Tricentennial Royal”. It yields considerable amounts of coins from the wreckage.
The find was announced nearly exactly 300 years to the day after 11 of 12 Spanish ships carrying an estimated 3.5 million pesos in gold and jewels, including some belonging to the Queen of Spain, sank in a hurricane while en route from Havana. Marx has written several books about the 1715 fleet and the queen’s jewels.
His company bought the rights to the site in 2010 from heirs of the legendary treasure hunter Mel Fisher and the firm allows others, including the Schmitts, to search under subcontract agreements.
The Schmitt family -parents Rick and Lisa and their two children and daughter-in-law – who hunt for treasure off their salvage vessel Aarrr Booty, could not immediately be reached for comment. In 2013, he discovered pieces of gold chain that measured more than 60 ft put together.
So, who gets the spoils of the salvage effort?
Under federal and Florida law, up to 20 percent of the treasure will be turned over to the state for display in a museum, while Brisben’s company and the Schmitts will split the remainder.
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“These finds are important not just for their monetary value, but their historical importance,” Brisben, the treasure hunter, said. Of that total, approximately $157 million has been recovered.
