Shipwrecks
1554 Padre Island Plate Fleet
Sank 1554 · found 1964 · Off Padre Island, TX (Gulf of Mexico)
Salvaged (partial)The prize. 85,000+ lbs of silver coin & bullion
Where. Off Padre Island, TX (Gulf of Mexico)
Status. Salvaged (partial)
Where. Off Padre Island, TX (Gulf of Mexico)
Status. Salvaged (partial)
The account
Three Spanish ships, Espíritu Santo, San Esteban, and Santa María de Yciar, wrecked in a storm carrying silver from Mexico; only ~30 of ~300 aboard survived the march home. Rediscovered in 1964, they're the oldest confirmed shipwrecks in US waters.
Leads, where the trail points now
- Pin down the most specific last-known position in the record before going; the search centers on Off Padre Island, TX (Gulf of Mexico).
- What you are chasing is 85,000+ lbs of silver coin & bullion. Work the documented record of 1554 Padre Island Plate Fleet back to primary sources and separate what is attested from folklore.
- Within Padre Island National Seashore (NPS), protected; the Texas Antiquities Code applies.
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