Lost Spanish Fortune Found!

**Lost Spanish Fortune, Found!** is the 23rd episode in Season 3 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Josh travels the coast of Florida and to the newly opened country of Cuba in search of sunken treasure from a fleet of Spanish ships sunk in 1715. The hunt takes him deep into the Atlantic and into the previously sealed National Archives of Cuba.

## Historical Context

"In 1715, a very broke King Philip V of Spain orders a fleet to gather treasure from the New World. 12 ships were overloaded with over a billion dollars worth of gold and silver coins, precious gems, and Incan riches. They set sail from Havana but five days later, a violent hurricane demolishes 11 of the 12 ships scattering treasure along what is now the Florida coast."

- Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh goes to Sebastian, Florida where he meets Eric Schmitt, a treasure hunter, who has already found 2 million in Spanish coins. They metal detect on a beach but don't find anything. He then goes to the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum who found 6 out of the 11 shipwrecks with a crew of friends. Josh meets Chris James, a treasure hunter and they head out to the shipwreck of the Capitana and find two pieces of eight. They don't find anything else because visibility is too low.

Josh then goes and meets Gary Drayton, a treasure hunter. They head into the Florida swamps where they search for the treasure which may have blown over from the ocean. They find a flatiron from the mid-1800s and an iron conglomerate with a silver coin inside. Afterwards, Josh visits Havana, Cuba and goes tot the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and then to the Cuban National Archives.

At the archives, he meets Cesar Alonso Sansón and John de Bry and they pour over old Spanish documents which give them hints about where the remaining ships may be. Back in Sebastian, Josh meets up with Greg Bounds and Terry Wilder, treasure hunters and they head out to search farther north along the Florida coast for a wreck. By using a magnetometer and diving, they find a cannon and will return to dig in the future.

## Final Words

"Even if Greg finds glory on this wreck, much of the lost fleet of 1715 will still be undiscovered. My own journey brought me down to one of the wrecks, where I got my first taste of treasure. I've also been up to my waist in mud, where I learned that most treasure hunting is less than glamorous. And I visited a once-forbidden country, whose long-held secrets led me to historic discoveries on paper and at the bottom of the ocean. The treasure of the 1715 fleet is, I can attest, a dangerous Siren. For some, it's a hobby. For many more, an obsession. So if you find yourself walking on the beach, or taking a swim along Florida's Treasure Coast, and you see something shiny, pick it up with caution. You might strike it rich. Or you might be swept up in a high-stakes game of treasure and legend."

- Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* The Expedition Unknown crew was the first American film crew ever allowed to film in the Cuban National Archives.
* John de Bry was also featured in Captain Kidd's Treasure
* Gary Drayton was also featured in England's Vanished Crown Jewels

## Quotes

* "You're going down, Ginny."
* "Beercan. Croc. And a gun grip. Florida."
* "Picture Sintra's crew from Ocean's Eleven. That's basically what we're talking about here."

## References

1. ↑ https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOGNmNGVjNjItNWJjZi00NmU0LTkwYWQtYzFhZDI5NmI0MGNmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTI0MDY5NzI@.\_V1\_.jpg