Jonah Martinez, 43, a treasure hunter from Port St. Lucie, was scanning the sand with his metal detector at Turtle Trail Beach Access on Feb. 21 when his device picked up a signal.

Buried beneath him was more than three centuries of history:

Martinez pulled 22 Spanish silver coins from the surf, each dating back to a shipwreck 305 years ago, he said.

Twelve Spanish galleons laden with treasures from the New World were bound for Spain on July 31, 1715, but 11 were lost during a hurricane off the coast of Florida. Most of the treasure liesbeneath the ocean.

"Not everyone knows why it's called the Treasure Coast," Martinez said. "This is why."

To read the complete article, see:
Treasure hunter unearths silver coins from 300-year-old Spanishshipwreck on Florida beach (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/28/spanish-coins-1715-shipwreck-unearthed-florida-beach/4902578002/)