This Day in Fleet History – June 17, 2015
The Tricentennial Royal (dated 1715) and over 50 other gold coins are found by the Schmitt family near Fort Pierce, Florida.
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The Passing of Dr. Eugene Lyon
Here is an article written by Fleet Society member Allen Balogh (#37) regarding the recent death of Dr. Eugene Lyon. Many thanks to Allen for sending us this story for posting on our site. Homer’s Twin Brother The Passing of Dr. Eugene Lyon Historian, Scholar, Gentleman By Allen Balogh In 1970, a University of Florida
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This Day in Fleet History – June 8, 1708
A British captain ambushes a Spanish treasure fleet during the War of Spanish Succession.
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This Day in Fleet History – June 1st, 2003
The crew of the Half Reale salvage vessel finds an ornate solid gold “jewelry box” containing a seven-emerald gold cross, a large woven gold chain and two gold-and -emerald rings. Cabin Wreck near Sebastian, Florida.
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June 2020 Treasure of the Month
Our featured treasure for June does not have all of the eye appeal of past items that we have showcased here. But, nonetheless, this item was critical to the successful construction of ships used in the Spanish fleet system. Nails, pins and spikes made of iron, are often found among the scattered wrecks of the
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This Day in Fleet History – May 24, 1964
Mel Fisher finds the famous “carpet of gold”…..1,033 gold coins recovered at the Douglass Beach wreck site, Ft. Pierce, Florida.
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Whatever happened to………?
Did you ever wonder whatever happened to the Real Eight Museum of Sunken Treasure in Cape Canaveral, Florida? While working on updating The History of the Real Eight Company Through Documents and Letters, I came across this article which was published in September of 1980. It tells the story (a sad one at that) of
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10 Years Ago Today
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of my friend and original Real Eight member Lou Ullian. I first met Lou at his home in January 2005. After an hour of pleasant conversation about shipwreck coins I was treated to a wonderful lunch prepared by his wife Helen. From then on visiting Lou and
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This Day in Fleet History – May 12, 1962
The first auction of Real Eight treasure coins is presented by Henry Christensen in Hoboken, New Jersey. Lot #282, a full date 1712 Mexico eight reales, has the distinction of being the first Mexican Real Eight coin ever auctioned.
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Iconic Cabin Up For Sale
Anyone who has an interest in the 1715 Fleet and the treasure that it held is familiar with Kip Wagner. Wagner was the man responsible for the organized effort to locate the wreck sites of the Fleet and recover its treasure. His “command post” so to speak, was a small house along the beach which
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In Memorium: Dr. Eugene Lyon
It is with deep regret that we report the death of Dr. Eugene Lyon, who passed away last Sunday, May 3, 2020. Dr. Lyon was well known for his research and scholarship in the area of Spanish Colonial Florida and related subjects. He was greatly respected by all who had the opportunity to work with
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This Day in Fleet History – May 10, 1961
Articles of Incorporation filed by the Real Eight Company.
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Cobb Coin Company vs. The Unidentified, Wrecked and Abandoned Sailing Vessel, etc.(1982)
Finding myself “sheltered in place” for the last 7 weeks has allowed me the rare opportunity to devote many uninterrupted hours to reviewing archival material that I have gathered over the years. I have always dreamed of having the time to do that and, with the unfortunate circumstances of the pandemic, I now have that
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History of the Real Eight Through Documents and Letters Updated
In 2011 we began writing the history of the Real 8 Company using contemporaneous letters, pictures and documents. Over the years we have continued to update the history with additional information as that information was acquired. Recently, we added new material to our Real Eight story which we encourage you to access. Specifically, this new
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This Day in Fleet History – May 6, 1715
Ubilla’s Nueva España Fleet clears Vera Cruz harbor for a month long sail to Havana.
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This Day in Fleet History – May 1st, 1965
Real Eight Company opens its first museum, “The Gallery of Spanish Treasure” in Satellite Beach, Florida.
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May 2020 Treasure of the Month
Our featured Treasure of the Month for May is this nifty 12 coin aggregate (informally referred to as a “clump”) consisting of silver reales from the Spanish colonial mint at Mexico City. The clump has dimensions of approximately 3 inches long by 2 inches high by 1+1/4 inches wide and weighs in at 340.1 grams.
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This Day in Fleet History – April 30th, 1965
Opening reception for the Real Eight Company’s first museum at the First National Bank in Satellite Beach, Florida
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April 24th, 2020. One Person’s Brush With History
The other day, I received an e mail from Dr. Guy Rowinski who related to me a very interesting story about a life changing event that he experienced as a young man visiting Florida in 1969. Here is his story in his own words: “I was a classmate at a university in Ohio with the
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April 14th, 2020: Good Friday in Western Pennsylvania
Here is an image of my front yard a few days ago on Good Friday. The weather in this part of the country can be extremely variable as can be seen in this scene. A few days before this picture was taken it was 70 degrees. Next week I will be mowing the lawn. But,
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