Stolen Sunken Treasure Gold Coin Recovered at CSNS Show

At the CSNS convention near Chicago, five dealers and a specialist collector helped identify and recover a stolen 1715 Treasure Fleet 1709 Lima, Peru eight Escudos gold coin after two suspects allegedly tried to sell it on the bourse floor on April 24. Police arrested the suspects, and the coin was returned to its owner. The piece had sold in November 2025 for $40,500 including premium, underscoring its high numismatic value and rarity. The coin is part of the famous 1715 Fleet wreck, which carried gold and silver back to Spain before sinking in a hurricane off Florida. Dealer Tony Gryckiewicz said the suspects offered the coin at a suspiciously low price and gave an implausible backstory, prompting further research that linked the piece to the prior auction sale. Gryckiewicz then alerted Sedwick & Associates and fellow dealers, who confirmed the coin’s provenance and helped coordinate with security and law enforcement. For the desk, this is not a bullion-price driver, but it is a reminder that rare physical gold coins remain actively traded, highly portable, and vulnerable to theft/fencing risk. The episode also highlights the importance of provenance checks and dealer cooperation in the numismatic market, especially for high-value pieces where trading can occur well below true collectible value if stolen material is being moved quickly.