Gold coins stolen from centuries-old Spanish convoy in $1 million heist recovered by Florida authorities

Florida authorities recovered a hoard of gold coins from an 18th-century Spanish convoy that was stolen in 2015.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 37 gold coins were snatched from the Spanish treasure fleet of 1715 and are worth a total of $1 million. Press release,

The fleet of 1715 was a combination of two separate groups of Spanish ships, all under one command, heading back to Spain after a successful round of treasure hunting. The fleet fell victim to a storm and crashed somewhere off the coast of Florida. All his goods including coins sank to the bottom of the sea.

Exactly 300 years later, in 2015, the Schmidt family recovered 101 gold coins off what they named the Treasure Coast of Florida. The family worked specifically to recover treasure from the Spanish Fleet, even naming their LLC 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels.

However, only 51 coins were recorded, leaving the other 50 in limbo.

“Although 51 of these coins were correctly reported and adjudicated, 50 coins were not disclosed and were later stolen,” the FWC wrote.

The robbery triggered an FBI investigation into Eric Schmidt, one of the family members responsible for the discovery. The investigation specifically focused on “the illegal sale of a number of stolen gold coins between 2023 and 2024”.

“Investigators executed multiple search warrants, seizing coins from private residences, safe deposit boxes and auctions,” the press release said.

“The five stolen coins were recovered from a Florida-based auctioneer who unknowingly purchased them from Eric Schmidt.”

Schmidt also apparently took three gold coins that he did not report and threw them back into the ocean “to be found by the new investors of the 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels, LLC.”

Nevertheless, 13 coins are still missing. FWC wrote that finding 37 of them “marks a major milestone in our long-running investigation into the theft and illegal trafficking of these priceless historical artifacts.”