News updates from directors of the 1715 Fleet Society, including stories, images, documents, and more. This is the main news feed for the society.
Regular updates from the 1715 Fleet Society
Past and current featured treasures
Special days of significance to the 1715 Fleet
On this day, 55 years ago, a team of Real Eight Company divers working at the Cabin Wreck site near Sebastian, Florida find a nearly intact treasure chest containing silver coins. This is the second...
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On Saturday, February 21, 1970 this story appeared in the Florida Today section of the Tampa Tribune News: Members of the Real Eight Company cautioned buyers of Spanish treasure fleet coins to be aware of counterfeits that...
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The Tricentennial Royal and over 50 other gold coins are found by the Schmitt family near Fort Pierce, Florida.
While searching through some archival documents the other day I came across a newspaper article from the Orlando Sentinel dated June 5, 1967. It reports that the Real 8 Company opened its 1967 salvage season...
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British Captain Charles Wagers ambushes a Spanish Treasure Fleet near Cartagena during the War of Spanish Succession. Sunk in the battle was the San Jose which was laden with gold, silver and precious gems which...
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In cooperation with the 1715 Fleet Society and its 300th Anniversary Commemoration of the loss of this famous Spanish fleet, Cover Coins, whenever possible over recent issues, have been selected from the Society’s website study...
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The Half Reale salvage crew find an ornate solid gold “jewelry box” containing a seven-emerald gold cross, a large woven chain and two gold-and-emerald rings. Found at the Cabin Wreck site near Sebastian, Florida. (The...
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Our Treasure of the Month for June is this denomination set of Mexico City, Mexico, 8-4-2-1 silver reales, housed in a 8 ¾ “ x 3 ½” promotional wooden box. The box, made of walnut,...
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Recently I attended the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists Spring Show in Pittsburgh. There I was able to welcome a new Fleet Society member. Meet Bob Hurst from Vero Beach, Florida. Bob is a coin dealer...
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Mel Fisher finds the “carpet of gold” – 1,033 pieces of gold discovered at the Douglass Beach wreck site.
The first Division between the State of Florida and Real 8 & its associates occurred on July 21, 1964. Among the 3376 gold coins divided were 15 Mexican galanos, which had already begun to be...
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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...
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Articles of Incorporation filed by the Real Eight Company. (The company lasted until 1984 when it was dissolved on November 21 of that year)
Ubilla’s New Spain Fleet clears Vera Cruz harbor for a month long sail to Havana.
The Real Eight Company opens its first museum, “The Gallery of Spanish Treasure”, in Satellite Beach, Florida. (An invitation only private opening was held the night before).
Our passion for EOs (encrusted objects) continues with our Treasure of the Month for May. In the past we have featured numerous EOs, including silver wedges, individual coins, coin clumps (or aggregates), and non-coin-related items...
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The previous Cover Coin was an 8-reales which brought a boatload of documentation to its buyer, Ben Costello. The Cover Coin(s) this time have the same provenience but are of a different denomination. Dave Crooks, an attorney and...
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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...
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Recently (March 21 to be exact) we posted a story about our then latest member Jeremy Watherston who was our first Fleet Society member from Australia. A few weeks later I had the chance to...
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Fleet Society Director Ben Costello asked me to post an update related to web analytics for the first quarter of 2022. Altogether the results were fantastic and we saw the 1715 Fleet Society Web Analytics...
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