Category: Treasure of the Month

Our treasure offering for April can be found on display at the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, Florida. The coins (or more accurately, cobs) depicted are silver 8 reales from the Spanish colonial mint at Lima, Peru. The Lima mint opened in 1568 and operated sporadically until 1592. After a 70 year hiatus it

Our Treasure Month of the for March is an item that we chose to feature because it is, at least presently, the last one like it in existence. Companions to this artifact were found at a 1715 Fleet wreck site near Sebastian Florida referred to as the “Cabin Wreck”. (This wreck is thought to be

Our Treasure of the Month for February is this assortment of gold rings that were found on various wreck sites of the 1715 Fleet. Of all the jewelry recovered from these sites, rings are the most prolific. Mostly made of gold, they vary in style from plain bands to ornately crafted mini works of art.

We begin the new year with our Treasure of the Month for January, this pair of earrings from the famous “Queen’s Jewels” find of 1993. What were the “Queen’s Jewels”? Well, here is the story. In 1714 Maria Louisa of Savoy, wife of King Philip V of Spain, died. Seven months later in September 1714

Even though our Treasure of the Month for December has been out of production for over 50 years, it still makes a very nice gift. In fact it was a gift presented to me recently by Fleet Society member Frank Noga (Membership #1). It was such a nice present that I felt that it deserved

November’s featured treasure is one of the rarest and coveted items ever recovered from the wreck sites of the 1715 Fleet—a gold Royal. Specifically, in this case, a 1713 eight escudos Royal from the Spanish colonial mint at Mexico City. So what makes this coin so desirable? Well, first and foremost, is its beauty. Nearly

Our Treasure of the Month for October is a departure from our usual treasure offerings.  Unlike most of our featured treasures it is not something that can be held in one’s hand and studied up close. It is not made of gold or silver, is not a valuable gem or rare artifact. And, unlike most

Our Treasure of the Month for September features two silver eight reales from the Mexico City mint. Upon close observation, they do not appear to be particularly noteworthy, other than the fact that they are dated 1712 and 1715. There have been many auctions over the years that have offered similar coins for sale. So,

Our Treasure of the Month for August has its origins in a prior treasure that we featured a few years ago in December, 2015. Here is the story. On Sunday, August 15, 2010 diver Bonnie Schubert found an impressive artifact at the Douglass Beach Wreck site south of Fort Pierce, Florida. The artifact, a gold

Our featured treasure for July is a small but extremely deadly item used by the Spanish and often found on 1715 Fleet wreck sites. Used in close combat, the split shot was an early form of anti-personnel projectile. Made of lead, the split shot looks like a musket ball that has been cut in half

Our featured treasure for June does not have all of the eye appeal of past items that we have showcased here. But, nonetheless, this item was critical to the successful construction of ships used in the Spanish fleet system. Nails, pins and spikes made of iron, are often found among the scattered wrecks of the

The Treasure of the Month for April is this small group of gold Mexico eight escudos from the State of Florida Collection. What makes this group so special is the very odd shape portrayed in each coin. While odd and unusual shapes are not uncommon in coins from the Mexico City mint, these examples are

Our Treasure of the Month for March is this bowlful of eight reales recently purchased from the Bruce Ward Estate. These reales are all uncleaned, encrusted and have that ”fresh from the sea” appearance. Some are fused together into two and three coin “clumps”. The plate (or as I call it a bowl) is pewter

Our Treasure of the Month for February is this gold chain and toothpick from the State of Florida Collection. Officially identified as 72A 018 000042 0001, this item was found at the Rio Mar Wreck site just south of Vero Beach, Florida. This toothpick, or “grooming implement” is one of many that have been found

As we begin a new decade our hope is for success and prosperity in the coming years. For centuries gold has been equated with success and prosperity. Gold has also been memorialized in the lexicon by such phrases as “Good as gold”, “Heart of gold”,  “Worth its weight in gold” and so on. Therefore, we

For December’s Treasure of the Month we are going to revisit one of the most recognized and revered artifacts ever associated with the 1715 Fleet: the Dragon Whistle.  Previously featured as our Treasure of the Month for July 2013, the Dragon Whistle and chain was found on the beach near the Cabin Wreck site in

Not long ago our Treasure of the Month for November was quietly resting at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. It was recovered from its hiding place on June 4, 2019 by Kenton Dickerson, while working in a nearshore area at the Corrigan’s Beach Wreck site, a few miles north of Vero Beach, Florida. Dickerson

Our Treasure of the Month for October is this beautiful (and extremely rare) two escudos gold piece from the old Spanish colonial mint of Santa Fe de Bogota located in Columbia. There is a fascinating history behind this coin and it is provided to us by Fleet Society member Dann Jacobus (#92) who is the

Our Treasure of the Month for September is this intriguing little 6.9 gram artifact recently recovered (August 10, 2019) near the Corrigan’s Beach  Wreck site north of Vero Beach. This tiny item is a 1/8  inch thick, 3/4 inch square bronze scale weight that features markings on it. One of the most defined markings is