Treasure hunters on a boat called the Aarrr Booty (seriously) found more than $1 million in gold coins from a 1715 shipwreck off the Florida coast. Apparently 20 percent of the booty goes to the state of Florida with the rest split between the historic shipwreck salvage company, 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels LLC, and the subcontractors who recovered it. Half of the value is in just one coin, the so-called “Tricentennial Royal,” meant to be delivered by the sunken fleet to Spanish King Phillip V.
“We’re very respectful of the people who lost their lives in these shipwrecks. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it,” said Eric Schmitt who was on the team that found the gold. “We’re able to continue their story on by continuing to bring these artifacts up.”
“Sanford treasure hunters find $1M in gold off Florida’s coast” (Orlando Sentinel)
