- Joined
- Aug 19, 2014
- Messages
- 39,045
- Reaction score
- 143,950
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Tarpon Springs
- Detector(s) used
- JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
- #1
Thread Owner
I briefly tried to see if someone else had already posted this but did not find anything... which is weird...
Anyway... this guy has been nailing it over anyone else for over 20 years.
Others like Gary Drayton have found great finds... but this guy's tally is WAY beyond him or anyone else...
Thought the Tnet crew would enjoy a quick read.
...............................
A modern-day treasure hunter uncovered quite a score on an Indian River County beach last week.
Jonah Martinez, who's been combing for buried treasure for 24 years, discovered nearly two dozen silver coins from a 300-year-old sunken ship.
"When you pick up anything from these wrecks, you know youāre in the right place at the right time," said Martinez.
Martinez and a group of friends were using metal detectors to scan Wabasso Beach last Friday night, when he suddenly got a hit on something special.
"We had a good feeling that we were gonna go out there and find some stuff," said Martinez.
And that they did!
Martinez said he uncovered 22 silver coins from the 1715 Treasure Fleet wreck involving 11 Spanish ships returning from a trading voyage to Cuba that wrecked near Sebastian during a hurricane.
"Itās very special when you find something like that," said Martinez. "Itās very unique and itās very romantic."
Martinez estimates the coins to be worth $5,000 to $6,000, however, he has no plans to profit off them.
"I donāt sell any of our coins," said Martinez. "Itās like a piece of history."
The treasure hunter, who builds custom cars and motorcycles for a living, said he's found around $13 million in treasure in the 24 years he's been doing this. His finds include belt buckles, daggers, cutlery, porcelain, household items and rare noble menswear.
Those items have been divided up between Martinez and his fellow treasure hunters, and are also donated to museums.
āA hurricane came and pushed them all onto the reefs of the Treasure Coasts. And that is why we are called the Treasure Coasts because of these shipwrecks,ā said Nichole Johanson, Mel Fisherās Treasure Museum director. āThe late ā50s is when the coins started turning up on the beaches and salvagers have been salvaging them ever since. Treasure has been found consistently.ā
Johansonās grandfather was the main salvager of the shipwrecks and she estimates thereās a lot more treasure to still be found off Floridaās coast. And Mel Fisherās Treasure Museum in Sebastian is dedicated to it.
"It turned from a hobby, it was a passion, and we kept taking it further and further and further," said Martinez.
The father of two said the best time to hunt for treasure is during severe weather, hurricanes, and when cold fronts push through, as they all cause beach erosion.
"Weāre watching to see how much sand the beach is losing," said Martinez. "When everybody is cuddled up and saying how cold it is outside, Iām out on the beachfront."
Anyway... this guy has been nailing it over anyone else for over 20 years.
Others like Gary Drayton have found great finds... but this guy's tally is WAY beyond him or anyone else...
Thought the Tnet crew would enjoy a quick read.
...............................
A modern-day treasure hunter uncovered quite a score on an Indian River County beach last week.
Jonah Martinez, who's been combing for buried treasure for 24 years, discovered nearly two dozen silver coins from a 300-year-old sunken ship.
"When you pick up anything from these wrecks, you know youāre in the right place at the right time," said Martinez.
Martinez and a group of friends were using metal detectors to scan Wabasso Beach last Friday night, when he suddenly got a hit on something special.
"We had a good feeling that we were gonna go out there and find some stuff," said Martinez.
And that they did!
Martinez said he uncovered 22 silver coins from the 1715 Treasure Fleet wreck involving 11 Spanish ships returning from a trading voyage to Cuba that wrecked near Sebastian during a hurricane.
"Itās very special when you find something like that," said Martinez. "Itās very unique and itās very romantic."
Martinez estimates the coins to be worth $5,000 to $6,000, however, he has no plans to profit off them.
"I donāt sell any of our coins," said Martinez. "Itās like a piece of history."
The treasure hunter, who builds custom cars and motorcycles for a living, said he's found around $13 million in treasure in the 24 years he's been doing this. His finds include belt buckles, daggers, cutlery, porcelain, household items and rare noble menswear.
Those items have been divided up between Martinez and his fellow treasure hunters, and are also donated to museums.
āA hurricane came and pushed them all onto the reefs of the Treasure Coasts. And that is why we are called the Treasure Coasts because of these shipwrecks,ā said Nichole Johanson, Mel Fisherās Treasure Museum director. āThe late ā50s is when the coins started turning up on the beaches and salvagers have been salvaging them ever since. Treasure has been found consistently.ā
Johansonās grandfather was the main salvager of the shipwrecks and she estimates thereās a lot more treasure to still be found off Floridaās coast. And Mel Fisherās Treasure Museum in Sebastian is dedicated to it.
"It turned from a hobby, it was a passion, and we kept taking it further and further and further," said Martinez.
The father of two said the best time to hunt for treasure is during severe weather, hurricanes, and when cold fronts push through, as they all cause beach erosion.
"Weāre watching to see how much sand the beach is losing," said Martinez. "When everybody is cuddled up and saying how cold it is outside, Iām out on the beachfront."
