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1A-32/Jupiter Inlet Project

  In 1987, Jupiter Beach lifeguard Peter Leo discovered several cannons  and  anchors at the Jupiter Inlet Wreck Site.  Jupiter Wreck, Inc. (JWI) was formed in 1988. They acquired the necessary permits from the State of Florida in 1990 to salvage this site, about 10 miles north of Palm Beach, Florida. In the early 1990’s the initial search area produced several thousand pieces-of-eight, gold bars, and one large, 80 pound silver bar. In 2001, JWI approached Amelia to use the Polly L for their ongoing search for the lower portion of the San Miguel Archangel. This was Amelia's first big project. Amelia recovered more than 200 pieces-of-eight, including rare examples such as one of the Lima Stars, a Santa Fe de Bogata eight-reale, and a 4-reale from Cartegena all much prized and highly valued by collectors. Additional findings bring us closer to finding the remaining primary cultural deposits in the future.    

  The Jupiter Inlet shipwreck is believed to be the San Miguel Archangel, an aviso, or ship used to carry Royal correspondence, passengers, and special cargos for the King of Spain and Viceroys.  Research in Seville reveals 33 passengers survived, who were found stranded at Jupiter Inlet in 1660 (then known as “Jega” on Spanish charts). The Archangel is documented to have sailed in 1659 from Havana, Cuba, transporting special chests containing valuables destined for Phillip IV, King of Spain. The silver coins recovered from the wreck site are dated between 1649 and 1659, a very interesting period of monetary transition to collectors of Spanish Colonial coins.

  We believe the Archangel may have been carrying the personal fortune of the Count of Salvatierra, the corrupt and scandal-ridden Viceroy of Peru, who died in 1658. His widow, the Countess, is known to have shipped part of her inheritance on the Archangel in anticipation of her return to Spain. 

  Additional research further revealed the silver bar found at the wreck site was first manifested to a Spanish ship wrecked on the Chanduy reef (Ecuador) in 1656, which the Count of Salvatierra is known to have loaded with contraband treasure. The Count salvaged some of the treasure in the name of the King from the ship lost on the coast of Ecuador, but underreported the amount recovered and  diverting a goodly portion to his own pockets. The Count Alba de Liste, who became Viceroy after Salvatierra’s death, mounted a second recovery expedition of the Chanduy wreck in 1659.  Two hundred fifty thousand pesos were reported to have been recovered in this operation.  The silver bar found at the Jupiter site taken from the Chanduy reef wreck was either part of Salvatierra’s plunder from the Chanduy reef wreck, or salvaged by Count Alba de Liste in 1659. Regardless, the fact this silver bar found its way aboard the Archangel indicates substantial, yet to be discovered treasure was likely on board the Archangel. 

  As JWI’s work on the Archangel wreck site proceeded, it became evident working close to shore with a small boat was not sufficient. The ballast pile and other artifacts usually found at complete wreck sites were missing, indicating only a portion of the ship (probably the upper deck) has washed ashore.  In addition, in a 1995 beach re-nourishment project, a cutter-dredge was used some 2000 feet offshore to rip through the ocean bottom, and then pump sand shoreward and onto the beach through a system of pipes. Following the beach re-nourishment, beachcombers found artifacts (pieces of iron with coins attached, pewter bottle tops, etc.), which were sliced in half, indicating the cutter dredge moved through the Archangel’s scatter trail.  

  In 1996, JWI expanded the search area, and began using a larger ship capable of operating further offshore in deeper water to improve the chances of finding the primary cultural deposit. Using crude calculations to identify a target zone, JWI began trenching the area where the cutter dredge had worked.  The objective was to establish the Archangel’s scatter trail from the beach out to sea.  That year JWI documented important new evidence in the search for the Archangel, and recovered some 760 pieces-of-eight, together with clumps of coins of all denominations. They represented several colonial mints, including several very rare Lima Stars from the illegal 1659 Lima mint established by the Count Alba de Liste.  

  Today the remains of the Archangel lay scattered in the shallow water around Jupiter Inlet under 15 to 20 feet of sand.  The remains are strewn along a debris trail believed to begin about a mile offshore leading straight into the beach. Out to sea, at the end of the trail, buried in the sand, are a ballast pile, what could be a fortune of gold and silver, the yet undiscovered remains of the ship’s lower hull.