LIVING HISTORY
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TREASURE COAST BOATING
the technology and information together
to put you in the right spot.”
STILL MORE TO UNCOVER
The Treasure Coast earned its name
for the great caches of lost silver and
gold that were discovered off the
region’s coastline. Most of the scattered
riches have been linked to the 1715
Plate Fleet, which left the New World to
return home to Spain. Eleven ships were
wrecked by a hurricane and sank on
July 31, 1715.
Some experts estimate that $750 million
of registered silver from the 1715
Fleet is still out there, waiting to be
caught. The coast is littered with other
shipwrecks from the 1500s and 1600s
that haven’t been found, as well.
“The beaches from Fort Pierce to
Sebastian are the best ones in the whole
world to find treasure,” Fismer said.
“I can’t believe everyone in this area
doesn’t have a metal detector.”
Brandon agrees, understanding the
value of what lies beneath the sand.
“My best day on the beach was at
John’s Island in February 1980,” he said.
“I found 351 Spanish silver coins and
four gold coins in one day with a metal
detector.”
JOHN BRANDON COLLECTION
Brandon, aboard the M/V Endeavor with longtime friend and mentor Mel Fisher, surveying the Dou-
>> glass Beach Wreck site off Fort Pierce.
/www.islandmarinetech.com