Schmitt family has discovered $300,000 worth of 300 years old Spanish gold chains and coins from the wreckage of a convoy of 11 ships that went down in a hurricane off the coast of Florida in 1715 en route from Havana to Spain.
Rick and Lisa Schmitt, and their grown children Hillary and Eric, and a diver, Dale Zeak, found three pounds of thin gold chains, five gold coins and a gold ring just 15 feet below the surface off the coast of Fort Pierce.
It started with a single gold coin, spotted over the Labor Day weekend by Dale Zeak, a diver and friend of the Schmitt family. Zeak then spotted more coins and gold chains that he saved for 26-year-old Eric Schmitt, who brought them to the surface Sunday.
The ships' manifests indicate that about $400 million worth of treasure was on board, of which $175m has been recovered.
Brent Brisben, owner of the 1715 Treasure Fleet – Queens Jewels LLC, owns the rights to dive on the wreckage site. His company has the exclusive rights to salvage the remains of that fleet, and he subcontracts the work to several individuals and families, including the Schmitts. He valued the Schmitt family’s treasure around $300,000 but the state of Florida will be allowed to take possession of up to 20 per cent from the treasure value.
"To be the first person to touch an artifact in 300 years, is indescribable," Brisben said. "They were there 150 years before the Civil War. It's truly remarkable to be able to bring that back."
The state of Florida will take some of the gold for display in a museum.
