Huge Inventory of Shipwreck Treasure

Welcome to Florida’s premier site for authentic gold & silver coins and other shipwreck treasure from the Treasure Coast’s 1715 fleet, plus many other famous treasure sites.

Shipwreck Coins, Shipwreck Coin Jewelry, Shipwreck Pendants, Shipwreck Bracelets, Shipwreck Earrings, Shipwreck Artifacts, other Shipwreck Treasure and Shipwreck-related books.

Coins from Shipwreck Treasure

Jewelry from Shipwreck Treasure
Artifacts from Shipwreck Treasure

Here at West Bay Trading you’ll find truely spectacular gold doubloons, silver pieces of eight, individual coins or mounted into sterling silver or 14 kt gold earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets, all with authenticity certificates confirming you as the owner of genuine shipwreck treasure.

Certificate of Authentic Shipwreck Treasure

Certificates

All coins, artifacts, and other shipwreck treasure offered by us are guaranteed authentic and come with an official certificate of authenticity issued by either the Salvor or by West Bay Trading.

Treasure Shipwrecks Info:

On July 24, 1715, a fleet of eleven Spanish ships and one French ship departed Havana harbor bound for Cadiz, Spain under the command of Captain Juan Esteban de Ubila and don Antonio de Echeverez. All told, these vessels held four years of accumulated treasure that the Spanish treasury desperately needed.  The first signs of a hurricane appeared on July 29, 1715, but despite every effort made by the crews to save their ships, on the 31st, the entire Spanish Fleet perished along Florida’s east coast.

Atocha, sunk in 1622 west of Key West, Florida

The cargo of the Atocha did not see light again until 1971 when the first coins were found by the now famous salvager Mel Fisher and his divers, who recovered the bulk of the shipwreck treasure in 1985 and thereby unleashed the largest supply of silver cobs and ingots the market has ever seen.

Well over 100,000 shield-type cobs were found in all denominations above the half real, the great majority of them from Potosi, as were also the approximately 1,000 silver ingots (most the size of breads loaves).  A handful of gold cobs (1 and 2 escudos only) were also recovered, mostly from mainland Spanish mints but also a few from Colombia—officially the first gold coins ever struck in the New World.  The Atocha was also the source for most (if not all) of the first silver cobs struck in Colombia, as well as a few early coins from Mexico, Lima and Spain, and even Panama.  Even more significant were the many gold ingots, jewelry items, emeralds and other artifacts.

These coins were recovered from the wreck site of the Santa Maria de la Consolación located near Santa Clara Island in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Santa Clara Island is also known as “el Muerto” by the locals. Some say it is because from a distance the island looks like a dead man on his back; others say it is because the pirates beheaded the crew of the Consolacion on the island. The shipwreck of the Santa Mara de la Consolación was discovered by ROBCAR in 1997. The company has had the official Ecuadorian salvage lease for the wreck site continuously, since that time.

Shortly after the wreck was discovered, marine archeologist Robert F. Marx discovered documents and a ship’s manifest in the archives of Spain which identified the wreck. The Consolacion purportedly sank near Santa Clara Island while evading pirates in 1681. She was carrying 146,000 pesos in minted silver coins along with 800 silver bars, and gold ingots valued at 34,000 pesos. The Consolación was reportedly torched by the crew after they ran aground near Santa Clara Island. This greatly angered the pirates since they were unable to recover any of their treasure, and the story goes that they beheaded the crew as punishment.

The cargo of the Atocha did not see light again until 1971 when the first coins were found by the now famous salvager Mel Fisher and his divers, who recovered the bulk of the shipwreck treasure in 1985 and thereby unleashed the largest supply of silver cobs and ingots the market has ever seen.

Well over 100,000 shield-type cobs were found in all denominations above the half real, the great majority of them from Potosi, as were also the approximately 1,000 silver ingots (most the size of breads loaves).  A handful of gold cobs (1 and 2 escudos only) were also recovered, mostly from mainland Spanish mints but also a few from Colombia—officially the first gold coins ever struck in the New World.  The Atocha was also the source for most (if not all) of the first silver cobs struck in Colombia, as well as a few early coins from Mexico, Lima and Spain, and even Panama.  Even more significant were the many gold ingots, jewelry items, emeralds and other artifacts.

The Lucayan Beach Treasure is linked to the capture of the 1628 Spanish Fleet by the Dutch pirate Peit Heyn. No one knows what happened to the ships or their men, but the silver pieces of eight ended up on the beach at Grand Bahama Island. Most of the coins that have been found were minted in Mexico under the rule of the king of Spain. These coins were hand struck of 93% fine silver, and can truly be called pirate’s treasure.

In the year 1800, the Spanish frigate of war Santa Leocadia with 34 bronze guns, Captain Antonio Barreda, was sailing form Paita, Peru for Panama. She was wrecked on a rocky reef on November 7 near Punta Sana Elena, Ecuador. Over two million pesos in silver and gold coins were down with the ship. Of her crew, passengers, and English prisoners, 140 perished and 48 were badly injured. Within 3 weeks salvors had recovered the greatest part of her treasure. A small amount of both silver and gold “bust coins” and six bronze cannon were not recovered.

The Princess Louisa, a huge East Indiamen ship, was lost in April 18th 1743 on Galleons Reef, in the treacherous waters off of the Cape Verde Islands, near the Isle of May. Her holds carried Spanish Colonial cob coinage, from the mints of Potosi, Bolivia and Lima, Peru. These coins were to be used to purchase silks, spices, and other valuable eastern items. Her tragic loss left shipwreck treasure lying undiscovered on the ocean floor for more than 250 years.

After setting sail for Spain, the Maravillas strayed off course in a terrible winter storm and rammed another ship in her convoy. She sank on a violent night in January 1656 taking 600 crew members and passengers to their deaths, and all her treasures to the bottom of the sea off Little Bahama Bank, not far from Florida. The Maravillas was thought to have one of the most valuable treasures of gold, silver and precious gems of all ships ever to sail from New Spain.

This coin was recovered from an as yet unidentified shipwreck (wrecked circa-1550) in the Caribbean Sea in international waters.  The wreck has produced unique small, flat, round, silver “splash” ingots as well as gold bars and pieces.

The wreck, known as the “Golden Fleece Wreck” due to the fact that several of the gold bars and silver ingots bear a marking that depicts a castle between the “Pillars of Hercules” with the “Order of the Golden Fleece” stamped below the castle.  These markings date the wreck to the joint reign of Johanna (the Insane) and her son Charles 1 of Spain (1516-1556).

In the early 1500’s, Charles 1 is credited with reviving the medieval Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain.  The gold bars from this wreck are truly unique and represent the first evidence ever seen of the “Golden Fleece” stamp being used to mark bullion.  Likewise, the silver coins recovered from this wreck are among the very first coins minted in the New World.Top of page

The Dutch East Indiaman “Hollandia” sank off the Isles of Scilly on her maiden voyage from Amsterdam to Batavia in July 1743 with the loss of all hands. She was carrying a cargo of silver for trading in the Far East. Her displacement was approximately 700 tons, her length 150 feet, she carried about 40 guns. The wreck was discovered by divers in September 1971.

In early October, 1627, four Dutch ships, the Campen, Vliegende Draeck, Prince William and Terschellingh, found themselves off the Isle of Wight in a severe storm, which drove them ever closer to the island, until they were just ´extraordinary action of actually attempting to sail through the gap in the Needles. It must have been a life or death decision to attempt such a move, and perhaps it is even more remarkable that three of three of the Dutchmen actually made it! The Campen missed the gap, drove beam on towards the western Needles Rocks, and became a total loss.

The Campen was partially salvaged in 1628 by “Jacob the Diver” in his diving bell. The site was subsequently located in June of 1979 by a group of divers from the Northampton branch of the British Sub Aqua Club. Approximately 8,000 coins were recovered during six years of salvage. The coins are officially Leeuwendaalder, but are commonly known as “Lion Daalder”, “Lion Thaler”, “Lion Dahler”, and “Lion Dollar”. These coins were widely used throughout the American English colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the word “Dahler” is most likely the origin of the American word “Dollar”.

Throughout modern history, man has looked for and discovered sunken and buried treasure. Many countries have lost these treasures, whether it is from acts of nature or acts of man. Coins have been recovered by salvagers around the world and can be enjoyed for their everlasting beauty and their ties to history.

The flagship of the Armada del Mar del Sur sailing from Peru to Panama was Jesus Maria de la Concepcion. Affectionately referred to as La Capitana.  The largest galleon built for King Philip IV at this time, she was lost on October 26, 1654 after a navigational error caused her to strike a submerged reef near Chanduy, Ecuador.  Her cargo consisted of 3 million pesos represented by 2,212 silver bars and 216 chests of silver coins, many of which were unregistered.

On July 15, 1733, during an unanticipated hurricane, a convoy of Spanish ships was lost and strewn across the shallows of Key West. Since there were may survivors as well as ships that could be repaired, the Spanish were very successful in salvaging a large portion of the lost treasure as well as contraband not listed on the manifests. The wrecks are spread across approximately 80 miles from north of Key Largo down to the south of Duck Key.

Because of the extensive salvage efforts of the Spanish in the 1730’s, modern finds have been only modest. The 1733 Fleet has been a significant source of rare Mexican milled “pillar dollars” of 1732-1733 as well as the transitional “klippe”-type coins of 1733.

A modern salvaged Spanish wreck, of which almost all the cargo was found shortly after it sinking in 1752 off Montevideo, Uruguay. Leaving Buenos Aires in the summer of 1752, loaded with money for Spain, the ship stopped in Montevideo for provisions. Upon setting sail, the Luz encountered a strong storm causing the ship to break apart and spread its treasures over a large area. All those on board were killed. Almost 90% of the treasure was recovered soon afterward, but the powder-hold was never located and some said there was over 200,000 pesos of contraband left to be found. The treasures were left unclaimed until 1992 when divers working another shipwreck discovered the artifacts, gold and silver cobs.

The Reijgersdaal went down off the coast of South Africa in 1747. A typical East Indiaman carrying eight chests of silver coins had anchored to get much needed supplies, when in the face of a gale, the anchor-line snapped and the ship foundered on the rocks. Only an incomplete chest of coins was recovered until in 1979 a modern salvage company searched and recovered thousands of coins.

On May 5,1730 The Vliegenthart (Flying Hart) was launched as the newest addition to the impressive fleet of the Dutch East India Company. She was about 145 feet long and 36 feet wide. Like other ships in the fleets, the Vliegenthart was designed for the long and dangerous journey to the other side of the world. Due the threat of attack, the Vliegenthart was heavily armed with 42 guns. The Vliegenthart made her first journey to the East Indies in late 1731, returning to the Dutch port of Rammekens in the province of Zeeland in August 1734.

After being refitted over the winter months, the Vliegenthart left Netherlands once again for the East Indies on February 3, 1735. On board were 167 seamen, 83 soldiers, and six passengers plus a small treasure hoard of gold and silver coins that would be used to trade for silk and spices and precious gems.

However, the deadly combination of a Northeast gale, a Spring tide and pilot error sent her onto a sandbar behind her sister ship. The damaged Vliegenthart slipped off the sandbar and quickly sank in 10 fathoms (60 feet) of water.

Salvage attempts were made but were unsuccessful accept they did turn up a secret map that did not emerge from obscurity until 1977. A London attorney, Rex Cowan, discovered the wreck in 1981, and in 1983 found their first coins , one of three chests of Mexican silver and Dutch gold coins totaling 67,000 guilders. The second chest was smashed on the seabed and it’s contents partially salvaged, while the third chest, intact like the first, came up in 1992. Among the silver coins found were thousands of Mexican cobs, predominantly 8 Reales, many with clear dates in the early 1730’s and mostly in excellent condition.

One of 300 ships traveling from the West Indies to help suppress a French uprising, the Piedmont was force to find refuge in Lyme Bay during a hurricane on November 18, 1795. The Piedmont and five other ships broke apart and became known collectively as the “Lyme Bay Wrecks. Well over a 1000 men lost their lives on that day. Discovered in a salvage operation in the 1980’s, the silver cobs many of which are of the late 1600’s, have been presumed to have been captured or recovered from a 17th century wreck, then stored only to be lost again in 1795.

The San Jose is a historic shipwreck near Plantation Key, Florida, United States. It is located approximately 4 miles southeast of Plantation Key. On March 18, 1975, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The San José had 7 to 11 million pesos on board.

The Expedition (Wager’s squadron) attacked the San José and approached the vessel with the clear intention of boarding the ship. Around 7 p.m., after an hour and a half of fierce fighting and with only 60 meters between the two ships, suddenly the San José blew up. The ship sank immediately, taking its precious cargo and almost the entire crew to the bottom of the sea.

One of the worst British naval disasters of all time happened in 1707 off the Scilly Isles, southwest of England. While enduring stormy conditions, this ship and four others in a fleet of 21 navigated directly onto the rocks of the Scilly Isles. As many as 2,000 sailors lost their lives as a result. Discovered in 1967 by British Navy divers, it was not until 1973 when a significant number of coins were found and recovered, Most of the coins were British silver and gold, but the find also included an assortment of Spanish-American cobs from nearly all mints.

The Rooswijk was a Dutch East Indiaman that sank off the English coast on the treacherous Goodwin Sands with loss of all hands during the month of December 1739. The Rooswijk was carrying cargo which included silver specie and silver ingots for trading in the East Indies.

On July 24, 1715, a fleet of eleven Spanish ships and one French ship departed Havana harbor bound for Cadiz, Spain under the command of Captain Juan Esteban de Ubila and don Antonio de Echeverz. On board these vessels were four years of accumulated treasure that was desperately needed by the Spanish treasury. Passengers carried their own personal wealth they had struggled to obtain in the New World.

On July 29, 1715, the first signs of a hurricane appeared, but despite every effort made by the crews to save their ships, on the 31st , the entire Spanish Fleet perished along Florida’s east coast. Over seven hundred lives were lost along with the ships.

An English East Indianman on her way to Surat on the west coast of India, the Joanna sank in rough seas off the tip of South Africa in June of 1682. 10 died and eventually 104 survivors reached the Dutch colony of Cape Town. The cargo consisted of 70 chests of silver, mostly Mexican 4 and 8 reales of Charles II. The wreck was rediscovered in 1982 and silver ingots along with the silver cobs were recovered.

The Lady Burgess belonged to the English East India Company and set sail for India at beginning of April, 1806. She weighed 820 tons, carried 30 guns and a crew of 100 men. In the early hours of the 20th of April 1806 the Lady Burgess found itself in shallow water off the Cape Verde Islands and could not escape the breakers.

Throughout modern history man has looked for and discovered sunken and buried treasure. This 1660 Spanish shipwreck known now as the “Jupiter Wreck”, was located off the east coast of Jupiter, Florida in July of 1987. Research shows the Spanish “Aviso” vessel named “San Miguel De Archangel” wrecked during the winter of 1659 or early 1660. 33 survivors were eventually rescued. This is an artifact salvaged from the “Jupiter Wreck” and is but one of the treasures that lay scattered and buried under 10 to 25 feet of sand and surf.

On September 6, 1622, the heavily-laden galleon of King Philip IV’s Tierra Firme Fleet grounded and broke up in a raging hurricane near the Florida Keys. More than one hundred and twenty persons perished and tons of gold, silver, and other precious cargo were lost to the sea.

A modern salvaged Spanish wreck, of which almost all the cargo was found shortly after it sinking in 1752 off Montevideo, Uruguay. Leaving Buenos Aires in the summer of 1752, loaded with money for Spain, the ship stopped in Montevideo for provisions. Upon setting sail, the Luz encountered a strong storm causing the ship to break apart and spread its treasures over a large area. All those on board were killed. Almost 90% of the treasure was recovered soon afterward, but the powder-hold was never located and some said there was over 200,000 pesos of contraband left to be found. The treasures were left unclaimed until 1992 when divers working another shipwreck discovered the artifacts, gold and silver cobs.

On November 15, 1761 L’Auguste de Bordeaux sank off the coast of Nova Scotia after fighting a losing battle with a winter storm. In 1977 treasure hunters found the wreck in shallow waters along the Aspay Bay and began salvaing under the government supervision. Over the next few years they search several more times and recovered thousands of coins and historic artifacts.

Sunk in a hurricane on September 12, 1857, the mail steamer SS Central America took with her more than 400 lives and over three tons of gold. The wreck lay undisturbed until 1986, when Tommy Thompson and his Columbus-America Discovery Group located the ship in 8500 feet of water. The salvagers were awarded about 92% of the treasure, with most of the rest going to insurance companies who had paid the claim when the ship sank. Widely touted as the greatest treasure ever found, the gold from the Central America has been very heavily promoted and cleverly marketed.

Originally christened the Tennessee (which is how she was identified in our time), steamer ss Republic was carrying some $400,000 in specie from New York to New Orleans when she sank in a hurricane about 100 miles offshore on October 25, 1865. One of many deep targets located by the salvage company Odyssey, the site of the SS Republic was salvaged by submersible craft beginning in 2003. In addition to gold and silver coins of the Civil War-era United States, Odyssey found the ship’s bell with part of the name Tennessee, confirming the ship’s identity and launching a massive, ongoing promotional campaign for coins and artifacts from the wreck.

The so-called silver trail was actually a network of trade routes reaching out from Potosi (in present day Bolivia).  Potosi was the world’s largest silver mine in the 17th and 18th centuries, employing over 100,000 workers.  Tens of thousands of mule-loads of food and supplies a year were required to sustain what amounted to the largest city in the Americas, at that time Salta (founded in 1582).  Thousands of mules lost their lives by slipping over the cliffs or were pulled over by other mules that they were tethered to.  Today the Indians of the region occasionally recover these coins which never made it to the coast.

Numerous Greek colonies were established in southern Italy in the centuries preceding the introduction of coinage, the earliest foundations dating from the eighth century B.C. The first coins appeared circa 530 B.C. Within three centuries, the Greek empire would fall to the Romans. The coinages of the Greek cities gradually ceased as they came under Roman sway, but they still had a considerable influence on the first Roman silver coinage. The coin represented here was minted in that era and displays the head of a ruler, a member of his family, or a Greek God.

The Roman Empire, which spanned nearly eight centuries, produced coins of various metals and weights. Most coins represented the leader, emperor, or imperial of a certain era or region in the empire. Some coins even bore the heads of the rulers mother, spouse, daughter, sister or son. T
The coins were crude because a hammer, a pair of tongs to hold the die and a stone anvil were used in their production.