Our Treasure of the Month for November is a recent recovery from July, 2024. This flintlock pistol (or what remains of it) was found by Mighty Mo Divers working for Queens Jewels LLC.
Our artifact is totally encrusted with sand, shells and ocean deposits which makes the item almost unidentifiable (except to the trained eye). Regrettably, the ocean environment is very unkind to wood and iron leaving only the outline of the pistol to bear witness to there ever having been a flintlock pistol on board.
Below is an image of our featured treasure with the remaining portions of the pistol identified for reference.
A drawing of a similar pistol recovered from the 1715 Fleet is shown for comparison.
Here are two x rays taken of our flintlock pistol.
In addition to flintlock pistols, muskets and swords (rusted and encrusted) were also found on 1715 Fleet wreck sites. See our Treasure of the Month for January 2015 which featured an encrusted sword.
Below is a more complete example of an encrusted flintlock that was part of an exhibit at the Florida United Numismatists Winter Show in January 2018. The flintlock was found by the Real Eight CompanyAlso referred to occasionally as “The Real 8 Company”- was incorporated in 1961. It had eight members….Kip Wagner, Kip Kelso, Dan Thompson, Harry Cannon, Lou Ullian, Del Long, Erv Taylor and Lis... in the 1960’s.
Special thanks to 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels, LLC for permission to use the images they provided of our featured treasure. Also, thanks to 1715 Fleet Society Advisory Board member Mike Perna who contributed to the text. Pictures of Marquet Pistols courtesy of Noel Wells as found on page 141 of his book Small ArmsInsignia of a family or country, containing specific figures and colors and passed along through hereditary lineage. of the Spanish Treasure Fleets. (Copies of this book are available upon request.)
