A local treasure hunter working on the Nuestra de Atocha Spanish galleon shipwreck in the Florida Keys has found an exceedingly rare Atocha gold coin.

Engineer and diver Zach Moore, who is originally from Vero Beach, found the gold coin on July 16 in about 30 feet of water. The last Atocha gold coin was recovered from the site in 2001.

The coin is valued at approximately $98,000 and is the 121st Atocha gold coin found at the site of the shipwreck.

Moore is a member of the crew from Mel Fisher's Treasures salvage vessel J.B. Magruder, captained by Tim Meade. The crew of the J.B Magruder has been working the site of the shipwreck in the Florida Keys.

At the time of the sinking in 1622, the ship was heavily laden with gold, silver, gems and other valuables bound from the New World for Spain. The cargo's value was estimated to be $400 million.

Zach Moore is a second-generation treasure hunter, who also spent time working the 1715 fleet site just off the Vero Beach coast. He couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.

Along with his dad Bill Moore, Zach discovered a rare silver pendant and rosary, with a still intact statue of Jesus Christ at the site of the 1715 shipwreck.

Bill Moore was part of the crew that discovered and recovered the original find from the Nuestra de Atocha in 1985.

To read the complete articles, see:
Vero Beach treasure hunter finds rare gold coin in Keys from 1622 Spanish galleon shipwreck(https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-county/2021/07/22/vero-beach-treasure-hunter-mel-fishers-treasures-finds-rare-gold-coin-in-keys-from-1622-shipwreck/8058361002/)
Treasure hunter diving on the Nuestra de Atocha shipwreck site in Florida finds a gold coin worth $98K(https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9818373/Treasure-hunter-finds-gold-coin-worth-98-000-worlds-valuable-shipwreck.html)