1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels

What 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels does

1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC is a privately held shipwreck salvage company designated by the U.S. District Admiralty Courts and the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources as the exclusive custodian and salvor of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet wreck sites off Florida's Treasure Coast. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in the Sebastian/Vero Beach, Florida area, the company operates six active wreck sites—Corrigan's, Douglas Beach, Cabin, Anchor, Sandy Point, and Rio Mar—whose debris fields span multiple miles. The current lease was inherited from predecessor operators Real Eight Corporation (Kip Wagner) and the Fisher family salvage operations, giving the company access to over 60 years of accumulated archaeological site research, debris field mapping, and historical documentation.

The core service is marine archaeological salvage conducted through subcontractor crews aboard thirteen contracted vessels (MV Mighty Mo, MV Sea Reaper, MV Capitana, MV Lilly May, MV Just Right, MV Blackwater, MV Gold Blooded, MV Aarrr Booty, MV Perfect Day, MV Big Secret, MV Bottomline, MV Showdown, MV Miss Fannie) during summer field seasons. Recoveries include gold escudos (Mexico and Lima), silver reales, olive blossom gold chain fragments, gold rings with emeralds and amethysts, worked silverware, cannons, and other period artifacts, all undergoing years of conservation under Chief Conservator Capt. John Brandon followed by U.S. District Court legal adjudication before sale or transfer.

The company monetizes finds through three revenue streams: direct-to-consumer artifact sales via a Shopify storefront (1715treasurefleet.myshopify.com), subcontractor licensing/royalty arrangements with contracted vessel operators, and a mandatory transfer of up to 20% of artifacts to Florida state museums under the Admiralty lease. Demand is generated primarily through a regularly updated content blog documenting each season's recoveries, a Facebook presence, and earned media via the History Channel's "Beyond Oak Island" documentary series (filmed 2021, aired January 2022). The company is co-owned by principals George Friedel and Ric Harshman, with operational leadership from Operations Manager Capt. John Brandon, Director of Operations Sal Guttuso, and veteran subcontractor captains.

Name

1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels

Legal name

1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC

Website

https://1715treasurefleet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC is the U.S. District Admiralty Court's exclusive custodian of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet wreck sites off Florida, recovering and selling gold and silver coins, jewelry, and artifacts through subcontractor-operated salvage vessels and a Shopify storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Salvage and Treasure Recovery

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers (42394), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Jewelry, Precious Metal (3911)

akta.pro primary industry

Underwater Salvage & Diving Operations (UWILD, Cutting, Welding) (IMAJANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shipwreck & Wreck Removal (IMAJANAA), Asset Recovery & Decommissioning (Derelict Vessels, Abandoned Property) (IMAJANAI), Vintage & Antique Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAE)

Keywords

• Shipwreck salvage
• Treasure recovery
• Maritime archaeology
• Artifact conservation
• Historic coin sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebastian

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Artifact and Coin Sales: Sale of recovered treasure including gold and silver coins, jewelry (olive blossom gold chain links, rings with emeralds and amethysts), and artifacts (silverware, porcelain, bronze weights, cannons) through the company's Shopify storefront (1715treasurefleet.myshopify.com). Revenue is generated from individual artifact sales to collectors and the public.
2. Subcontractor Licensing Fees: Multiple subcontractor vessels (MV Mighty Mo, MV Sea Reaper, MV Capitana, MV Lilly May, MV Just Right, MV Blackwater, MV Gold Blooded, MV Aarrr Booty, MV Perfect Day, MV Big Secret, MV Bottomline, MV Showdown, MV Miss Fannie) operate under exclusive salvage contracts with 1715 Fleet. The company retains a portion of recovered artifacts and manages legal adjudication of finds.
3. State Artifact Share (Regulatory Compliance): Per Federal Admiralty lease requirements, the state of Florida receives up to 20% of artifacts found on each site after each salvage season for inclusion in museum displays, reducing net revenue but maintaining regulatory compliance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels recovers, conserves, and legally adjudicates historic treasure from the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet shipwrecks along Florida's Treasure Coast, operating as the U.S. District Courts' designated custodian and exclusive salvor. It sells recovered gold and silver coins, jewelry, and artifacts through a Shopify storefront to collectors and shares a mandated portion of finds with Florida museums.

Product overview

1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC is a historic shipwreck salvage company that serves as the U.S. District Courts' custodian and exclusive salvaging company for the 1715 Treasure Fleet. The company operates as a single service offering focused on underwater archaeological recovery of treasure, artifacts, and historical items from the 1715 Fleet shipwrecks off Florida's Treasure Coast. They work with subcontractors who conduct diving operations using various vessels to recover gold coins, silver coins, jewelry, porcelain, and other artifacts. The company also maintains an online shop for merchandise and partners with museums for artifact display.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1715 Fleet Shipwreck Salvage Operations Exclusive, legally authorized underwater archaeological salvage services recovering gold and silver coins, jewelry, cannons, and other artifacts from the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet shipwrecks off Florida's Treasure Coast. Operations are conducted via a subcontractor fleet of chartered vessels under U.S. District Admiralty Court and Florida state permits.
• 1715 Fleet QJ Shopify Storefront Company-run Shopify storefront selling recovered, court-adjudicated treasure items (gold coins such as Lima and Mexico escudos, silver reales, jewelry, and other artifacts) to collectors and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ silver coins and 5 gold coins recovered in 2025 season alone, valued at approximately $1,000,000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• History Channel (Beyond Oak Island)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021The History Channel's documentary series 'Beyond Oak Island' filmed aboard 1715 Fleet salvage vessel MV Capitana during the 2021 summer salvage season. The production crew filmed interviews with company principles George Friedel and Ric Harshman, Operations Manager Capt. John Brandon, and salvage operations. Two episodes aired in January 2022, providing significant national media exposure for the company and its discoveries.
• City of Fort Pierce, FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 20181715 Fleet collaborated with the City of Fort Pierce to recover an iron cannon from the Sandy Point Wreck (8IR20/S23) in August 2018. The cannon was donated to the city for permanent public display along the downtown waterfront. The project involved Capt. Dan Porter and MV Seatrepid for the recovery, with three and a half years of conservation work supervised by Capt. John Brandon before the February 15, 2022 unveiling at Melody Lane.
• U.S. District Admiralty CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1715 Fleet operates under exclusive Admiralty Court orders granting them custodian status and exclusive salvaging rights to the 1715 Treasure Fleet wreck sites. All recovered artifacts undergo legal adjudication through the Court before being cleared for sale or transfer.
• Florida Department of State, Division of Historical ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1715 Fleet holds state contracted wreck site permits from the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources. Per the Admiralty lease, the state receives up to 20% of all recovered artifacts for museum display, and all operations must comply with state archaeological guidelines.
• Maritime Research & Recovery (Dan Porter)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDan Porter and his company Maritime Research & Recovery operates multiple salvage vessels (MV Sea Reaper, MV Seatrepid, MV Capitana) under subcontract with 1715 Fleet. Porter has worked 1715 Fleet sites since the 1980s and is a key operational partner contributing vessels, crew, and expertise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1715-fleet---queens-jewels-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels