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Category: Articles

Published articles by Fleet Society directors, members, historians, and other figures central in the Fleet Society history.

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Cannon Markings from the Cannons Salvaged at Sandy Point in 1955

Last month the Fleet Society was honored to publish an article authored by Jorge A. Proctor entitled “The Resting Places of the Capitana and Almiranta of the Tierra Firme Squadron, from the 1715 Fleet, Identified”. Now

May 11, 2022 1 Comment

The Resting Places of the Capitana and Almiranta of the Tierra Firme Squadron, from the 1715 Fleet, Identified

Since the discovery of several shipwrecks from the 1715 Fleet disaster in the Coast of Florida in the mid-1950’s and into the 1960’s, attempts have been made to match the names of ships, with the

April 18, 2022 2 Comments

1715 Fleet Society - Coin World July 2021 Cover - Lost Treasure Ships

Coin World Article Features Lost and Found Treasure Ships

The July 2021 edition of Coin World Magazine (on sale until August 9) features a very interesting article on Lost and Found Treasure Ships including the 1715 Fleet. Written for Coin World by Gerald Tebben,

July 20, 2021 No Comments

Surprising New Evidence on the Douglass Beach Wreck

Fleet Society Director and archival research expert Jorge Proctor recently authored an article titled The Nuestra Señora de las Nieves and the Douglass Beach wreck-site, which offers new evidence as the actual name of the remains of the ship located there. Supported

April 11, 2021 1 Comment

A Census of 1703 H Lima 8 Escudos

Greetings. One of our undertakings here at the Fleet Society is to carry out original research into anything Fleet related. In that regard, I would like to present a recent article written by Fleet Society

September 3, 2020 No Comments

A Tale of Spanish Doubloons

One of my ongoing projects as a Director of the Fleet Society is to catalogue the many archival documents that I have acquired over the years. Although I enjoy this aspect of my job very

August 24, 2019 No Comments

An Alternative Explanation for an Iconic Artifact

Within the State of Florida’s archaeological collection there resides an unusual and rare artifact, catalog number 93 A. 673. 000103. 0001, lab tag 6458, with the designation “bone toothpick”. It was received into the State’s

March 20, 2019 1 Comment

One Day of Hunting Treasure

Walt Holzworth was a Pennsylvania Dutch farmer who relocated to California to work in the construction industry. Eventually, he ended up a full-time treasure hunter. He made his first dive in 1963 at the age

January 30, 2018 1 Comment

Some Highlights of the Florida Collection

“The Earliest Lima 8 Escudos in the Florida Collection” This post is the second in a series that will explore some of the highlights of the magnificent Florida State Collection of Spanish Colonial artifacts and

October 20, 2017 No Comments

Clausen Report

In the summer of 1964, Mel Fisher working through a contract with the Real Eight Corporation, located and salvaged a tremendous treasure consisting of thousands of gold coins and priceless artifacts. This wreck site was

July 20, 2017 1 Comment

Numismatic Legacy of the 1715 Plate Fleet

This article, by Phil Flemming and Ben Costello, was published in the January 2015 edition of The Numismatist, and the full text of the article is included below. Three hundred years ago, a Spanish treasure

February 21, 2015 1 Comment

DATELINE: Ft. Pierce, Florida

The latest edition of Indian River Magazine, published by a locally owned company based in Ft. Pierce, Florida, has just released its Holiday 2014 Edition featuring a multi-page article on the 300th Anniversary of the

November 20, 2014 No Comments

1701 Gold Escudo Hybrid of Santa Fe from 1715 Fleet

by Herman Blanton The “171S Fleet-Queens Jewels, LLC” treasure salvage operations recovered a cache of gold escudos on 13-July-2013 on a site called “Corrigans” at Sebastian Inlet near Wabasso Beach, Fl. Other artifacts including a

April 26, 2014 1 Comment

Treasure Rediscovered

by John de Bry This past summer I had gone down to Juno Beach, Florida, to go out on a boat owned by a company involved in the commercial salvage of historic shipwrecks. The purpose

October 26, 2013 No Comments

Literature About the 1715 Fleet and the Coins Salvaged

Literature About the 1715 Fleet and the Coins Salvaged by Dave Crooks Introduction Much has been written about the 1715 Fleet since the wrecks were discovered by Kip Wagner and the Real Eight Company in

June 26, 2013 1 Comment

A 1715 Lima Eight Escudos from the Fleet?

The Holy Grail of Fleet Collectors by Ben Costello They say a picture is worth a thousand words. They also say pictures do not lie. But try telling that to anyone who has ever snapped

May 26, 2013 No Comments

December 1964 edition of The Saturday Evening Post

December 1964 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. Text reprinted with the permission of The Saturday Evening Post. Photographs provided by the 1715 Fleet Society.Note that the text for this article is rather small due

February 6, 2013 No Comments

The Great Florida Treasure Find

January 1965 edition of Argosy.

September 6, 2012 1 Comment

1715 Glory Hole!

by Ernie Richards Fleet Day this year, July 31st, will mark the 297th anniversary of the tragic loss of the 1715 Plate Fleet along Florida’s east coast. Exactly twenty years ago, July 31st, 1992, Captain

May 1, 2012 No Comments

Winter 1965 edition of Sport Camping Magazine

Winter 1965 edition of Sport Camping Magazine. This issue featured Real Eight Co. member Del Long who recently passed away on May 4th, 2011.

Category: Articles

One Day of Hunting Treasure

Some Highlights of the Florida Collection

Clausen Report

1701 Gold Escudo Hybrid of Santa Fe from 1715 Fleet

Treasure Rediscovered

A 1715 Lima Eight Escudos from the Fleet?

December 1964 edition of The Saturday Evening Post

The Great Florida Treasure Find

Winter 1965 edition of Sport Camping Magazine

Newsletter

Treasure of the Month

This Day in Fleet History