Flotilla 1715

Silver Fleet of 1715

In June 1715, a very powerful hurricane hit the Florida beaches. When the storm subsided, 11 ships of the Silver Fleet were at the bottom of the ocean. These medieval "convoys" carried treasures from the New World to Spain and were assembled twice a year. They sailed in groups to increase their protection from the rigours of the weather and, more importantly, from the French and English buccaneers.

The fleet carried many treasures from the New World, but especially the so-called royal fifth, or 20% of all the wealth found in the New World. The loss of the 1715 fleet is one of the greatest treasures yet found on land and sea.


After one violent storm, Kip Wagner walked the beaches and indulged his hobby of looking at objects that had been washed up by the sea. But that day, he discovered something that literally changed his life. On a piece of coral, he found a penny dated 1714.
After showing his discovery to Mr. Kelso, the Library of Congress began searching for more information to explain the unusual find.

The Library of Congress was able to find information on the loss of the Silver Fleet in 1715. In "A Brief Description of the Orient and West Florida," written in 1775, just 60 years after the shipwreck, the author of the book visited the Bay of St. The information found in the book was literally "spot on". Already at the first inspection of the site, Wagner found a bronze cannon that had been thrown up by the sea.
He then recruited a team of divers (including a young Mel Fisher) and set about searching for real.

Soon thousands of coins and gold and silver artifacts worth many millions of dollars were recovered.
The rescue work continues to this day. However, only members of the salvage team have the right to search for items from the fleet. They are only allowed to search the beaches with special permission. If you go it on your own, you risk penalties and probably a lawsuit..