Our Treasure of the Month for February is GOLD! Gold dust, that is. Many people are unaware of the fact that there was actual gold dust recovered from the 1715 Fleet, specifically the Rio Mar wreckLocated in Vero Beach opposite the Rio Mar Golf Course. The capitana of the Terra Firma Fleet it was the largest galleon of the eleven Spanish ships leaving Havana harbor in 1715. Her official name wa... site. According to the renowned archival researcher Jorge A. Proctor, all available evidence conclusively establishes that the wreck site at Rio Mar is the remains of the Nuestra Senora del Rosario, Almiranta of the Don Antonio de Echevers y Subiza Squandron (See article written and published on the website by J.A. Proctor, The Resting Places of the Capitana and the Almiranta of the Tierra Firma Squadron, from the 1715 Fleet, Identified, April, 2022)
It is surmised that the gold dust originated in Columbia. Some researchers believe that the gold dust represented the quinto (royal fifth) a tax owed to the crown from the mining districts of Columbia
The gold dust was recovered using a custom small submersible dredging unit.
In addition to gold dust, gold nuggets have also been found on Fleet wreck sites. Both gold dust and gold nuggets are rare finds. (See our December 2017 Treasure of the Month)
Many thanks to Sal Guttuso, Operations Director for 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels, LLC for providing images used in this feature. Also, special thanks to our Advisory Board member Jorge A. Proctor for use of his article which was referenced in our text.
