佛罗里达州当局追回了37枚金币，价值超过100万美元，这些金币是1715年西班牙舰队在该州宝藏海岸的沉船中被盗的。
佛罗里达州鱼类和野生动物保护委员会（FWC）周二宣布，在对这些历史文物失窃进行了长达数年的调查后，这些文物已被追回。
1715年7月24日，一支由西班牙船只组成的舰队在离开古巴哈瓦那几天后遭遇飓风沉没。
这些船只载有大量运往西班牙的黄金、白银和珠宝，几个世纪以来，这些沉船残骸一直是寻宝者的来源。
2015年，包括施密特家族成员在内的一群打捞人员签订了从沉船中打捞物品的合同。他们发现了101枚金币，其中51枚得到了正确的报告，另外50枚没有公开，后来被偷走了。
这些硬币不见了，当局很快发现施密特家族成员埃里克·施密特（Eric Schmitt）参与了这些硬币的非法交易。
FWC与联邦调查局一起展开了一项调查，发现施密特参与了出售被盗硬币的活动。在2023年和2024年，施密特涉嫌向私人收藏家和拍卖行非法出售几枚硬币。
调查人员利用先进的数字取证技术，通过追踪施密特位于佛罗里达州皮尔斯堡的公寓拍摄的被盗硬币照片中的元数据和地理位置数据，证实了施密特的参与。
最终，在多个地点追踪到被盗硬币，包括私人住宅、保险箱和拍卖行。一位拍卖师在不知情的情况下从施密特手中购买了五枚硬币。
调查人员还发现，施密特于2016年将其中三枚被盗硬币放回海底，后来被负责打捞沉船的1715舰队皇后珠宝有限责任公司的新投资者“发现”，该公司负责打捞沉船。
FWC官员与包括Mel Fisher Abt在内的历史保护专家密切合作，对回收的硬币进行鉴定和评估。这些硬币现在准备归还给它们的合法保管人。
埃里克·施密特（Eric Schmitt）正面临与处理被盗财产有关的指控，FWC讨论了保护佛罗里达州文化遗产免受剥削的重要性。
该机构的调查员卡米尔·索维尔（Camille Soverel）评论说，这起案件表明，有必要追究那些试图从被盗历史珍宝中获利的人的责任。
虽然已经找到了37枚被盗的硬币，但仍有13枚下落不明，对这些遗留下来的历史碎片的搜索仍在继续。FWC发誓要继续寻找，直到所有被盗文物被送回它们所属的地方。
▲Image for representation purposes only
▲Image for representation purposes only
英文原文
Authorities in Florida have recovered 37 gold coins worth more than $1 million that were stolen from the 1715 Spanish Fleet shipwrecks off the state’s Treasure Coast.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced the recovery on Tuesday after a years-long investigation into the theft of these historical artefacts.
The 1715 Fleet was a group of Spanish ships that sank during a hurricane just days after departing from Havana, Cuba, on July 24, 1715.
These ships carried large amounts of gold, silver, and jewels meant for Spain, and the wrecks have been a source of treasure hunters for centuries.
In 2015, a group of salvage operators, including members of the Schmitt family, were contracted to recover items from the shipwrecks. They found 101 gold coins, among which 51 were reported properly, 50 others were not disclosed and were later stolen.
The coins went missing, and authorities soon found that Eric Schmitt, a member of the Schmitt family, was involved in their illegal sale.
The FWC, working alongside the FBI, launched an investigation that found Schmitt’s involvement in selling stolen coins. In 2023 and 2024, Schmitt was linked to the illegal sale of several coins to private collectors and auction houses.
Investigators used advanced digital forensics to confirm Schmitt’s involvement by tracing metadata and geolocation data from a photograph of the stolen coins taken at his condominium in Fort Pierce, Florida.
The stolen coins were eventually traced to various locations, including private homes, safe deposit boxes, and auction houses. One auctioneer had unknowingly purchased five of the coins from Schmitt.
Investigators also found that Schmitt had placed three of the stolen coins back on the ocean floor in 2016, where they were later “discovered” by new investors of the 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels, LLC, the company responsible for salvaging the wreck.
FWC officials worked closely with historical preservation experts, including Mel Fisher-Abt, to authenticate and appraise the recovered coins. The coins are now set to be returned to their rightful custodians.
Eric Schmitt is facing charges related to dealing with stolen property, and the FWC has discussed the importance of protecting Florida’s cultural heritage from exploitation.
The agency’s investigator, Camille Soverel, commented that the case shows the need to hold accountable those who try to profit from stolen historical treasures.
While 37 stolen coins have been recovered, 13 remain missing, and the search continues for these remaining pieces of history. The FWC has vowed to keep looking until all the stolen artefacts are returned to where they belong.
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