Sharing the spotlight for July’s Treasure of the Month are two gold coins recently recovered from a 1715 Fleet wreck site by sub-contractors of 1715 Fleet — Queens Jewels, LLC (Queens Jewels).
Consisting of two escudos from the Spanish colonial mint at Santa Fe de Bogotá and a one escudo from the Spanish colonial mint at Lima, these two coins display the brilliance of newly minted coins. This is not the first time that we have featured coins from these two famous mints. Last year (June 2025), we told the story of several gold coins found by sub-contractors of Queens Jewels, including a duet of two escudos from the Santa Fe de Bogotá mint. The previous year, we showcased another coin, a one escudo from the Lima mint, which, as fate would have it, has a direct relationship with our current featured treasure. More about that later.
As we previously reported, the vast majority of two escudos recovered from Fleet wreck sites were produced at the Mexico City mint, with Bogota twos coming in second, Lima twos a distant third, and Cuzco twos a far distant fourth. Our Treasure of the month is a common undated Bogota two escudos with a decent strike and obverse, a nearly full but slightly off-center cross on the reverse, and pleasing shape. All in all, a nice representative example.
The other half of our Treasure of the Month, however, is far from common. This coin, a one escudo from the Lima mint, is a classic rarity. In August 2024, we featured another Lima one escudo which bore a date of 1712/1. At that time (2024), it was also recovered by a subcontractor of Queens Jewels, LLC. There was a lot of excitement about that recovery. Not only was the coin rare, but it was also an overdate. The fact that in 2026, another one just like it was found is extraordinary! (NOTE: After further study and based on recent finds, we can say with confidence that there are only five 1712 Lima one escudos that can be accounted for. Out of those five, four are overdates.)
The State of Florida maintains the largest collection of Spanish colonial gold coins from the 1715 Fleet. In 2000, Alan Craig did an analysis of gold coins in the state’s collection. At that time, the collection had twelve Lima one escudo coins consisting of the following: 1697/6 (1); 1701 (1); 1709 (2); 1710 (3); 1711 (2); 1712 (1); 1713 (1); Undated (1). There have been no other examples added since that time, so the current inventory of one escudo Lima gold coins stands at twelve, with only one dated 1712 without an overdate.
Although the Lima one escudo is the smallest of the series, it packs the greatest punch. It has a unique design and, along with its great rarity, draws a lot of attention when one shows up on the deck of a recovery vessel. Just ask Nick Rotundo, who found the one escudo featured here as our Treasure of the Month! Also, not to diminish his find, our good friend Sal Guttoso, Director of Operations for 1715 Fleet — Queens Jewels, LLC, found the Bogota two escudos as the other half of our Treasure of the Month.
Many thanks to Sal Guttuso (Member #226) for providing the images used within the text of this article.
