Discovery of a treasure of Spanish gold coins dating back to the 18th century off Florida

"Congratulations to all the Schmitt family and the crew of the Aarrr Booty," wrote the company in 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels on his Facebook page.

The treasure, estimated at one million dollars, including 51 gold coins, twelve meters gold chains and coins minted during the reign of Philip V. The latter is the most valuable component of the find because it is extremely rare, noted Brent Brisben, Queens Jewel, with the Florida Today news site.

The treasure was recovered a month ago the shallow waters of the coast in Fort Pierce, about 130 kilometers north of Miami.

But the announcement was made this week to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the sinking of a fleet of ships from Cuba in late July 1715, sank in a powerful hurricane, explained Brisben.

The treasure would come from the "Capitana" ship piloted by Don Juan Esteban Ubilla carrying amount of valuables. Spain had recovered much of the treasure after his shipwreck, but hundreds of thousands of parts, valued at $ 550 million, have not yet been recovered, the company said Queen Jewels.

The law allows the state of Florida to keep 20% of the treasures discovered off its coast. The rest should be divided between Queen Jewels and Schmitt family.

After a long legal battle, however, Spain had in 2012 obtained US courts that another treasure found off the coast of Florida by the private company Odyssey is returned.

Agence France-Presse