"1715 Fleet" Shipwreck Emerald (340.21gm), 90mm x 60mm. Salvaged from the "1715 Fleet" (Sunk off Florida's Treasure Coast). Accompanied by COA. A hefty and impressive quartz matrix with several stones peaking out. The piece featured in Robert F. Westrick's "1715 Fleet emeralds - The Green Gems of the Treasure Coast", a copy of the book accompanies the lot. Colombian emeralds, renowned for their unmatched quality, were central to the treasure cargo of Spanish galleons, laden with treasures and precious stones, which navigated treacherous routes from the New World to Spain. These often succumbed to the perils of piracy, storms, and battles, sending vast fortunes, including these prized emeralds, to the ocean's depths. On July 30th, 1715, a Spanish treasure fleet, which would later be famously known as the 1715 Fleet, encountered a hurricane that claimed a sizable portion of its galleons and crew. A reported 1,000 lives and 14 million pesos were lost, including an equal amount of treasure in contraband. It's hard to estimate the value lost when measured in today's currency, but one can imagine the extensive caliber of cargo when considering the convoy was a combination of two different fleets: the Nueva España Fleet, which got stuck in Veracruz for two years before it could join the Tierra Firme Fleet. After more delays in Havana, a 12-13 ship convoy left with an enormous amount of accumulated cargo, never to reach Spain. The Spaniards salvaged the wreck for a few years afterwards, recovering nearly half of the official cargo from shallow-water wreck sites. Modern salvaging began when Florida resident Kip Wagner found a "piece of eight" at a beach after a hurricane and was intrigued by its origins. With old maps, metal detectors, a small plane, and a permit from the state of Florida, Wagner located wreck sites and artifacts, ultimately putting together a team of archeologists, divers, and investors. This was the beginning of the Real Eight Company. As the Real Eight team combed the seabed with suction machines, they found jewels, emeralds, Chinese porcelain, silverware, and gold & silver ingots. Furthermore, they found as many as 10,000 gold Cobs and over 100,000 silver Cobs. These huge discoveries uncovered yet-unknown numismatic pieces and ultimately made rare gold Cobs "common" (though still very high-end for collectors). The salvaged coins were mainly from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, minted primarily between 1711 and 1715, although numerous earlier pieces from the 1600's were also recovered. As modern salvaging continues in these underwater sites, we expect many more exciting discoveries to be made, including the recovery of the last five or six ships that have yet to be found. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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