1715 fleet treasure bust

Can someone fill me in on the details so far, as to what has happened (how many coins recovered, was there a cache found, etc.)?
 

Well...no. The State HAS changed the time on a first degree felony to four years.
I stand corrected. Thanks for the update. If that's true everywhere I can breathe a sigh of relief...
See post 56, there was a picture of 101 coins sent to Brent and Queens Jewels only had 51 coins
Forensics be jammin' a brother up. I can understand why people commit crimes out of greed. But why would someone commit a crime when the evidence has already been documented in images? As they say, the perfect crime is one where it is never known that a crime has occurred. And what would the total value be for those 51 coins? Unless they are worth a million a piece, the risk doesn't seem anywhere close to worth it.
 

Do investors typically participate for one season at a time? As I recall, that was the Fisher Model to avoid SEC regulations.

I wrote an article about investing in sunken treasure hunting some time ago - some parts of the business probably haven't changed.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
My cousin was an original investor with Mel Fisher. He went down and dived with his son before his sons death. He dove the wreck often. He did very well on his investment and donated a large portion to a museum for tax reasons. The museum sold it. I really enjoyed handling the gold coins and he gave me some papered 8 reales .Part of his take were emeralds which he traded back for coins. Said the emeralds looked like melted coke bottles!
Shame on people who ruin good things for others.
 

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Mel Fisher did paper napkin deals in the bar from 1970 to 1983 which were investments that were forever. At the end of 1983 he realized that he had given away almost all of the wreck so 1984 investments were good for one year only. Same with the 1985 investors. So 70 to 83 and 85 investors got returns on their investment. Unfortunately 84 investors got nothing and some sued him. In reality Mel only ended you with about $7 million from the film rights as I recall. Still top marks for his tenacity having to deal with the Feds. Eugene Lyons saved him when he told Mel that the Marquesos(sp?) Keys were not the place he needed to be looking. About 10 years looking in the wrong location. RESEARCH RESEARCH
 

Eyes of the government are everywhere online, naive to think they don't see anything.

eyes-of-government.jpg
 

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Yes....I think it's a case of the state making it sound much worse than it is ? I think the term theft is being used to describe a mistake in reporting finds ? But there seems to be some missing information in the articles.....50 coins, 51 coins, 101 coins, 13 missing coins, 37 siezed coins ?? All very confusing and needing more explanation....I'm certain we will here more. Either way there is no excuse, the system of reporting, cataloging, division and such has been clearly defined for years !! Planting coins seems pretty deceitful, but it's probably not the first time thats happened.
Hard to say, you might be right about the state making it sound worse. Guess we’ll find out as more news comes out.
But on the subject of the state and accounting for artifacts, I remember discussion here about the state possibly not being able to account for all of the items that comprise their 20%, not to mention what’s been found/collected by state archeologists over the decades.
Does anyone know if all of the treasure/artifacts the state holds can be accounted for?
 

Once I'd read a comment in here... the state will not sell any treasure but only give to dignitaries' gifts (such as a gold coin).
 

Once I'd read a comment in here... the state will not sell any treasure but only give to dignitaries' gifts (such as a gold coin).
Speaking of artifacts 'on the side' Ive been watching a '1881 Swiss Fribourg Shooting Thaler' silver coin on eBay ($10000!!!) from the estate of Mendle Peterson that was recovered from the wreck of the 'Annie E. Smale' (Pt. Reyes California , we never dove her). Comes with COA . Not to be repitious but I've told the story from when I was hanging out at Port Royal after a sailboat delivery in the early 1990'S(?). There was a construction company (several brothers from Miami) repairing the steel docks at the marina and got to know them pretty well. I'd watch their bubbles out of boredom and occassionly the diver would wander 'offshore' (after the Jamaican tender was sent elsewhere). Later they told me when one of them went to sell a shoebox of pieces of eight at coin shops in Miami the owners would tell them someone else had been in selling coins of the same vintage. They figured out who it was out as he was staying at the same hotel/marina and was one of the MIT archaelogist that was part of the dig at Port Royal. Guess he was doing a little 'side work' paying off his student debt ?. Kinda funny as Marx was part of the dig and the government accused him of stealing artifacts and it turned out to be government officials in later investigations.
(sorry not able to put link up to eBay ad or correct my spelling as I'm just now getting a new laptop online).
 

funny as Marx was part of the dig and the government accused him of stealing artifacts and it turned out to be government officials in later investigations.



Florida might be a different story... maybe appease Spain by presenting gifts?
 

Speaking of artifacts 'on the side' Ive been watching a '1881 Swiss Fribourg Shooting Thaler' silver coin on eBay ($10000!!!) from the estate of Mendle Peterson that was recovered from the wreck of the 'Annie E. Smale' (Pt. Reyes California , we never dove her). Comes with COA . Not to be repitious but I've told the story from when I was hanging out at Port Royal after a sailboat delivery in the early 1990'S(?). There was a construction company (several brothers from Miami) repairing the steel docks at the marina and got to know them pretty well. I'd watch their bubbles out of boredom and occassionly the diver would wander 'offshore' (after the Jamaican tender was sent elsewhere). Later they told me when one of them went to sell a shoebox of pieces of eight at coin shops in Miami the owners would tell them someone else had been in selling coins of the same vintage. They figured out who it was out as he was staying at the same hotel/marina and was one of the MIT archaelogist that was part of the dig at Port Royal. Guess he was doing a little 'side work' paying off his student debt ?. Kinda funny as Marx was part of the dig and the government accused him of stealing artifacts and it turned out to be government officials in later investigations.
(sorry not able to put link up to eBay ad or correct my spelling as I'm just now getting a new laptop online).
I was a grad student in 1982 and spent the summer there with Texas A & M, the coolest thing we found were 72 intact onion bottles. As a bottle fanatic it was tough to leave there without taking one home. On land the topsoil is very thin and we could find 17th ceramic shards everywhere we looked. Fantastic place.
 

Hard to say, you might be right about the state making it sound worse. Guess we’ll find out as more news comes out.
But on the subject of the state and accounting for artifacts, I remember discussion here about the state possibly not being able to account for all of the items that comprise their 20%, not to mention what’s been found/collected by state archeologists over the decades.
Does anyone know if all of the treasure/artifacts the state holds can be accounted for?
Yes - the state can account for everything. A 100% inventory of that material is conducted yearly. Similarly, an annual partial inventory of the broader collection of archaeological material recovered from state lands is conducted.

To address another comment, I'm not aware of any "gifts" from the archaeological collection being given to foreign dignitaries, and I can say with 100% certainty that it didn't occur during the time I was directing FDHR (2016-2022).
 

Yes - the state can account for everything. A 100% inventory of that material is conducted yearly. Similarly, an annual partial inventory of the broader collection of archaeological material recovered from state lands is conducted.

To address another comment, I'm not aware of any "gifts" from the archaeological collection being given to foreign dignitaries, and I can say with 100% certainty that it didn't occur during the time I was directing FDHR (2016-2022).
Can you tell me what that stands for please. FDHR.
 

Can you tell me what that stands for please. FDHR.
It stands for backstabbing, lying, inexperienced State of Florida archaeologist employees of the Historical Resources department and ex-secretary of state of the State of Florida. FACT. Traders to the United States of America, Fact. Collluders with a foreign country against an American company with a contract fact.
If it's true, it's not libel. And anyone that works with these criminals is just a joke in my opinion.
 

It stands for backstabbing, lying, inexperienced State of Florida archaeologist employees of the Historical Resources department and ex-secretary of state of the State of Florida. FACT. Traders to the United States of America, Fact. Collluders with a foreign country against an American company with a contract fact.
If it's true, it's not libel. And anyone that works with these criminals is just a joke in my opinion.
I take it then that you don't hold them in high regard.🤣
 

Anyone who knows what Florida did to GME would not hold them in high regard. Historically, they are the most anti-treasure hunting state ever...and proud of it. They have turned 1000s of years of salvage law on it's head. They directly affected scores of peeps like, but not limited to, Mel Fisher, Tommy Gurr, GME and recently delayed divisions. That's why we have pirates among us who think like Sam Bellamy.

To be clear, I do not endorse the stealing of artifacts as Eric Schmitt was found to have done.
 

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