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the number estimated. Over a ton of silver coins were brought to the surface, at least 37,000. Also this
year was their first "Treasure Chest',' an actual box or chest of coins lined with
lead 3' long, 2' wide, and 1' deep. Three bags of burlap containing 1000 coins per bag
were in the chest, each coin weighed one ounce, so the chest weighed 3,000 ounces. The
fleet's manifest included 1,300 such chests of silver coins, or 1621/2 tons of silver!
After that all eyes were searching for more of the square-shaped boxes. They did also
recover 2 more gold rings, one with a 2½ Kt. diamond and 6 chips, and a carved flower
gold ring, a gold plated seahorse ornament, a gold cross, a silver crucifix, a hinged
silver brooch with oil paintings inside (badly soaked in sea water) one with a woman in
royal robes wearing a crown, 5 silver plates and 15-20 forks of silver with the makers
mark, 40-50 pewter plates, 6 silver candlestick holders, and a silver statue of the Greek
god Pan blowing his horn. (East Coast Shipwreck Project report by Duncan Mathewson
Ill-Cobb Coin Co.) A lot of ship's armament was also recovered.
The bottom opposite the Cabin Wreck is shallow and sandy with
cracks and crevices in the bedrock. There are a lot of rocks sticking up out of the bottom
between the three distinct reef lines. The second reef is the major one, rising about 3
feet off the bottom, the first reef is almost at the water's edge. The third reef lies
about 900'from the beach with 25' depth just seaward. Cannon, ballast, and some ship's
timbers are wedged into and on top of this third reef. The main problem in working the
reef is the poor visibility due to the Sebastian Inlet 2 miles to the North. It dumps silt
and sediment into the ocean and is carried south along the shoreline on the outgoing tide.
You can see it coming like a dark cloud, and suddenly the visibility is zero. It is also a
breeding ground for sharks. D.L. Chaney managed to land on top of a 7' shark one day when
he stepped off the stern in full diving gear! He did not find any treasure that
day.
Another main area of wreckage is located just inside the second reef
line in 8-10 feet of water. Here is where much of the treasure has been recovered. The
Regla was driven over the reef from the southeast, almost in a direct line |
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with Kip's cabin. If the cabin had been there in 1715 the forecastle
would probably have landed in some 75 feet from where it originally stood, because of
erosion of the beach in
front of it. Other than the cannon Charlie Higgs salvaged in 1940 and donated to the State
of Florida, the rest of the cannon still remains on the site.
In 1980 no salvage was permitted on the site. This was the period
of time when Treasure Salvors had filed Admiralty claims on 5 of the 1715 shipwreck sites.
Frank Allen had already filed an Admiralty claim on the Wedge Wreck just to the north of
Fort Pierce inlet. The conflict arose because Richard MacAllaster had a working lease with
the State on the Colored Beach wreck-site 3 miles south of Fort Pierce Inlet, and John
Meecham of Doubloon Salvage had a State lease on the Cabin wreck-site. Although the
Federal Admiralty claim had precedence, the Federal iudge decided to let the lease holders
work out a mutual arrangement, and until that happened - nobody dives! The following year
all parties had worked out a mutual salvage agreement that put the divers back in the
water.
In 1981 John Berrier and D.L. Chaney sub-contracted the Cabin
site from Treasure Salvors. Their recoveries that year included 140 silver coins, 5 gold
coins, a pair of brass navigational dividers, a copper dish, 3 lead sounding weights, a
silver fork, 3 gold toothpicks in the shape of a scimitar, 3 silver buckles and a brass
buckle, and some buttons. In 1982 no salvage was performed on the site. In 1983 Berrier
and Chaney recovered 1,600 silver cob coins in excellent condition. The following year the
recoveries included 2,642 silver coins, again in excellent condition, as well as a silver
thimble, a silver spoon handle, misc. silver candlestick holders, and a rudder
gudgeon.
Another problem with this wreck-site is the contamination of other
wrecks nearby. Within a 3,000 yard radius of Kip's cabin are 7 modern wreck-sites, and one
19th century ballast pile. Also deep sand lies between the first reef and the beach where
little salvage work has been done. The shallow water over the reefs will not allow salvage
boats to work this area and move sand. After a good northeaster this area should prove
interesting. A great quantity of shipwreck material still lies between the 1st and 2nd
reef parallel to the beach. In 1984, when Cobb Coin people swam the offshore area during a
survey, with the water extremely clear, they discovered
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