37 Gold Coins Worth $1 Million, Stolen From 18th Century Shipwreck, Recovered

Gold coins worth over $1 million stolen from an 18th-century shipwreck nine years ago have been recovered, CNN reported. On Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that they found 37 gold coins stolen from the 1715 fleet shipwrecks.

The coins were originally aboard the Spanish Treasure Fleet that set sail from Havana, Cuba on July 24, 1715, bound for Seville, Spain. A week later, the fleet was destroyed by a hurricane off the coast of Eastern Florida.

In collaboration with the FBI, we have successfully recovered 37 gold coins stolen from the 1715 Fleet shipwrecks. These coins are collectively valued at over $1 million! #CaseOfTheWeek pic.twitter.com/9irWvzGohz

— MyFWC (@MyFWC) November 26, 2024

In 2015, a team of hired salvage operators discovered 101 gold coins from the wrecks found near Florida's Treasure Coast. However, only half of the coins were recorded correctly. The remaining 50 coins were not disclosed and were later stolen. On June 10, FWC detectives and the FBI began looking into the missing money. According to the FWC, there was evidence that Eric Schmitt sold several stolen gold coins illegally between 2023 and 2024.

During the gold coins hunt, authorities carried out many search warrants against the suspect and found the stolen coins in auctions, safe deposit boxes, and private homes. Five stolen coins were recovered from an auctioneer in Florida who had bought them from Schmitt without realising they were stolen.

The FWC worked with historical preservation experts to authenticate and evaluate the recovered artefacts. Investigators are now looking for the remaining 13 stolen coins. 

"This case underscores the importance of safeguarding Florida's rich cultural heritage and holding accountable those who seek to profit from its exploitation," FWC Investigator Camille Soverel said in a statement.