Divers Find $1M In Lost Spanish Coins At Aptly Named Location

Finding sunken treasure has always been a dream of many, and off the coast of Florida, Queen Jewels company's diver had that dream come true. That's today's blog.

     (In this undated photo provided by shipwreck salvage company 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC, diver Levin Shavers shows coins uncovered from a Spanish shipwreck off the Atlantic coast of Florida, 2025. (1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels LLC via AP)

 Divers Find $1M In Lost Spanish Coins At Aptly Named Location 

 Beth Dalbey, Patch.com  Oct 9, 2025 

The turquoise waters off a stretch of southeastern Florida known as “Treasure Coast” has given up another of its namesakes, a long-lost Spanish treasure estimated at $1 million.

A team of divers from the crew of the Motor Vessel Just Right, under the permit of 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC (a shipwreck salvage company) discovered the long-lost treasure of 1,051 silver and 5 gold coins in the remains of the 1715 Treasure Fleet, which foundered during a hurricane in the 18th century. The coins are thought to have been minted in the Spanish colonies of Bolivia, Mexico and Peru.

The history of Treasure Coast dates back more than 300 years ago, when 11 Spanish vessels shipwrecked between Cape Canaveral and the St. Lucie River. The purpose of the fleet was to transport “American possessions of the Spanish Empire” and return them to Spain, but when hurricane winds hit, the treasure aboard the ships dispersed onto the Atlantic Ocean floor.

The coins were at home in the seabed until recently.

(Photo: 1041 silver pieces discovered. Credit: Queens Jewels, LLC) 

“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” Sal Guttuso, director of operations, said in a news release. “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.”

SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? 

1) Legal and Conservation Process: Queens Jewels LLC has the exclusive rights to salvage the wrecks, but must follow strict Florida laws and state oversight. Under the agreement, 20% of the find is turned over to the state, while the remaining 80% is split between the company and its subcontractors. The artifacts are first conserved and cataloged before a federal admiralty court determines ownership. 

2) Public Display: Select pieces are slated for public exhibition at local museums to allow the public to view the historical artifacts.