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Treasures From the State of Florida Collection

In this section of our Photo Gallery we are pleased to exhibit what we call the “Treasures of the State of Florida Collection”. Beginning in the early 60’s, the State of Florida authorized private salvage operations in Florida waters by implementing a program of leasing arrangements. The leases required each operator to share with the state a certain portion of recovered treasure. Through an annual “division” of finds with its leasees the State of Florida acquired a vast collection of Spanish colonial coins and artifacts.

This collection is now under the care of the Bureau of Archaeological Research and is located at the Archaeological Collections and Conservation Lab In Tallahassee, Florida. It is not often that one gets an opportunity to “peek” into the Lab and get a glimpse of this rich historical treasure trove. Fortunately, through permission obtained by the 1715 Fleet Society, this opportunity presents itself. Each item featured below is identified by a special inventory number. The official description of the coin or artifact is just as it is found in the directory maintained by the Bureau of Archaeological Reasarch.

Credit for the use of these photographs goes to the Florida Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Archaeological Research.

SPECIAL THANKS to David Dickel, Florida Division of Historical Resources for his help in securing these photographs and supplying
captioning information.

Caption 1- Silver ingot, wedge, 1 lb. 8 oz.
Caption 1- Silver ingot, wedge, 1 lb. 8 oz.
Caption 2- Silver ingot, wedge, 3 lb. 10 oz.
Caption 2- Silver ingot, wedge, 3 lb. 10 oz.
Caption 3- Earring with 3 pearls.
Caption 3- Earring with 3 pearls.
Caption 4- Jewelry ring, with hands and heart.
Caption 4- Jewelry ring, with hands and heart.
Caption 5- Jewelry ring, with flower panels.
Caption 5- Jewelry ring, with flower panels.
Caption 6- "Cocoa Pot" tray.
Caption 6- “Cocoa Pot” tray.
Caption 7- Gold square sheet.
Caption 7- Gold square sheet.
Caption 8- Undated One Reale Mexico coin, silver, holed.
Caption 8- Undated One Reale Mexico coin, silver, holed.
Caption 9- Jewelry ring, 7 panels with flower and bird design.
Caption 9- Jewelry ring, 7 panels with flower and bird design.
Caption 10- Small box, ornate floral design.
Caption 10- Small box, ornate floral design.
Caption 11- Ebony cross with silver frame.
Caption 11- Ebony cross with silver frame.
Caption 12- Ebony cross with silver frame.
Caption 12- Ebony cross with silver frame.
Caption 13- Dated 1714 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 13- Dated 1714 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 14- Fork, 4 tined Gosalez.
Caption 14- Fork, 4 tined Gosalez.
Caption 15- Undated One Reale Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 15- Undated One Reale Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 16- Dated 1700 Eight Reales Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 16- Dated 1700 Eight Reales Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 17- Dated 1695 Four Reales Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 17- Dated 1695 Four Reales Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 18- Dated 1709 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 18- Dated 1709 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 19- Dated 1712 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 19- Dated 1712 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 20- Dated 1710 Four Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 20- Dated 1710 Four Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 20- Dated 1699 Four Reales Lima coin, silver.
Caption 20- Dated 1699 Four Reales Lima coin, silver.
Caption 21- Dated 1713 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 21- Dated 1713 Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 22- Dated 1710 Eight Reales Lima coin, silver.
Caption 22- Dated 1710 Eight Reales Lima coin, silver.
Caption 23- Shot, split shot.
Caption 23- Shot, split shot.
Caption 24- Fork, 4 tined Gozales.
Caption 24- Fork, 4 tined Gozales.
Caption 25- Jewelry ring, ornate braided leaf design.
Caption 25- Jewelry ring, ornate braided leaf design.
Caption 26- Silver ingot, wedge, 1 lb. 8 oz.
Caption 26- Silver ingot, wedge, 1 lb. 8 oz.
Caption 27- Undated Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 27- Undated Eight Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 28- Silver ingot, wedge, 2 lb. 2 oz. (2003 weight) (810 grams 2010 re-weigh) Both times not done on good scale.
Caption 28- Silver ingot, wedge, 2 lb. 2 oz. (2003 weight) (810 grams 2010 re-weigh) Both times not done on good scale.
Caption 29- Hunting sword counter gaurd, with attached chain.
Caption 29- Hunting sword counter gaurd, with attached chain.
Caption 30- Gold dust, 17.54 grams.
Caption 30- Gold dust, 17.54 grams.
Caption 31- Undated Four Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 31- Undated Four Reales Mexico coin, silver.
Caption 32- Dated 1688 Two Reales Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 32- Dated 1688 Two Reales Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 33- Silver button.
Caption 33- Silver button.
Caption 34- Manicure Toothpick with emerald, scimitar and cupid handle.
Caption 34- Manicure Toothpick with emerald, scimitar and cupid handle.
Caption 35- Tuning peg for stringed musical instrument.
Caption 35- Tuning peg for stringed musical instrument.
Caption 36- Plate, large pueblo blue and white base shard.
Caption 36- Plate, large pueblo blue and white base shard.
Caption 37- Shot, expanding barshot.
Caption 37- Shot, expanding barshot.
Caption 38- Jewelry, bracelet, decorated.
Caption 38- Jewelry, bracelet, decorated.
Caption 39- Dated 1686 One Reale Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 39- Dated 1686 One Reale Potosi coin, silver.
Caption 40- Lima One Reale 1700
Caption 40- Lima One Reale 1700
Caption 41- Dated 1698 One Reale Lima coin, silver.
Caption 41- Dated 1698 One Reale Lima coin, silver.
Caption 42- Florida Collection display case, Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee.
Caption 42- Florida Collection display case, Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee.
Caption 43- Close up of large silver ingot shown in Caption 42.
Caption 43- Close up of large silver ingot shown in Caption 42.
Caption 44- Another close up of large silver ingot shown in Caption 42.
Caption 44- Another close up of large silver ingot shown in Caption 42.
Caption 45- Jewelry ring, ornate.
Caption 45- Jewelry ring, ornate.
Caption 46- Jewelry hatpin or stickpin, stem with leaf.
Caption 46- Jewelry hatpin or stickpin, stem with leaf.
Caption 47- Jewelry chain, flower.
Caption 47- Jewelry chain, flower.
Caption 48- Bar shot, expanding.
Caption 48- Bar shot, expanding.
Caption 49- Cuff link, (two parts attach by chain), floral leaf motif.
Caption 49- Cuff link, (two parts attach by chain), floral leaf motif.
Caption 50- Bottle, plastic cast of onion bottle.
Caption 50- Bottle, plastic cast of onion bottle.
Caption 51- Cuff link, (two parts attach with chain), filigree and beaded.
Caption 51- Cuff link, (two parts attach with chain), filigree and beaded.
Caption 52- Jewelry ring.
Caption 52- Jewelry ring.
Caption 53- Florida Collection display case, Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee.
Caption 53- Florida Collection display case, Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee.
Caption 54- Florida Collection display case, Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee.
Caption 54- Florida Collection display case, Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee.


  

1715 Dated Mexican Eight Reales

A tremendous quantity of silver coinage sailed in the hulls of the 1715 Fleet. By themselves the Capitana and the Almiranta of Ubilla’s Nueva Espana Flota carried 2390 chests of Mexican cob reales at 3000 pesos per chest. Over the last 50 years the state of Florida has amassed an amazing collection of 2200 cob reales (92% Mexian cobs).

Dr. Alan Craig has studied this collection and in 2000 published an excellent monograph on this subject. Recently, through the kind auspices of the Florida Division of Historical Resources, we were provided with high resolution images of all of the fully dated or partially dated 1715 Mexico Eight reales in the State of Florida Collection. Consisting of 105 images (obverse and reverse) the Fleet Society is proud and honored to be given permission to showcase these coins. We will be featuring these coins in three groups of 35 coins each. Our first offering is below. We hope you enjoy them.

We would like to thank Marie Prentice, Senior Archaeologist with the Bureau of Archaeological Research, who very graciously agreed to photograph the cobs in question that reside in the Florida Collection. Also, I would like to thank David Rinehart of Melbourne, Florida who has been doing research on 1715 dated Mexico Eight reales who arranged for the Fleet Society to get a copy of the DVD-R that was created by Marie Prentice and her staff. All images are courtesy of the Florida Division of Historical Resources.
 

Group 1

 

Group 2

 

Group 3

8 thoughts on “Treasures From the State of Florida Collection”

  1. If you ever vacation in Florida, you owe yourself the favor of visiting the Museum of Florida History in The State Capitol and seeing these shipwreck recoveries “in person”! GO TO: The Museum of Florida History / 500 S. Bronough St. / Tallahassee, FL 32399 / PH: 850.245.6400. You will thank me one day! –SeaScribe

  2. Why is that gold platter being called a “Cocoa Pot Tray” ? It would be really interesting to see some evidence of that. It is a unique
    piece and I’ve never seen anything like it in any books or publications since I found it back in 1977.

  3. Deborah Keegstra

    It would be nice if the wreck, the discovering vessel, and the year found was displayed. Also, how about the gold coins? I found what was called a mint test coin, in 1988, on Fred Douglass, that I would like to see. It was a one escudo. It had no date, mint mark, or assayed, just dots.

  4. Does anyone know if any experiments have been done which recreate and fire expanding bar shot? If so, where can I read the published findings and/or see video of the experiments?

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