Kip Wagner – The Treasure Hunter Who Revived the 1715 Plate Fleet’s Legacy
(Part Two of the QuickCashFor.Gold Treasure Series)
When the 1715 Plate Fleet went down off Florida’s east coast, its story faded into history for more than two centuries. The survivors were rescued or captured, the Spanish recovered what they could, and storms and tides buried the rest under shifting sands.
By the mid-20th century, most Floridians had heard rumors of lost Spanish gold — but almost no one believed it could still be found.
That changed when a man named Kip Wagner came along.
From Builder to Treasure Hunter
Kip Wagner wasn’t a historian, archaeologist, or sailor when his story began. He was a contractor living in Sebastian, Florida, in the 1950s — not far from the stretch of beach where the Plate Fleet had met its fate.
One day, a neighbor named Kip had befriended (a retired Army lieutenant) told him about finding Spanish coins in the dunes after storms. Wagner, curious but skeptical, decided to start combing the beaches with a metal detector.
He found his first silver coin in 1957. Then another. And another. Most were worn and blackened with age — unmistakably old Spanish reales. Kip became obsessed.
The Research That Changed Everything
Wagner began poring over old maps, Spanish shipping records, and historical archives. He learned about the fleet’s composition — ships like the Nuestra Señora de la Regla, Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, and the Urca de Lima — and about the hurricane that had doomed them.
The records didn’t just confirm the legend — they gave Wagner a trail to follow. He realized that storms and waves had been scattering coins onto beaches for centuries, and that the real treasure still lay offshore, buried under sand.
The Birth of a Company
By the early 1960s, Wagner had teamed up with fellow enthusiasts and formed the Real Eight Company, named after the Spanish “pieces of eight” coins. Using early scuba gear, homemade tools, and sheer determination, the team began locating wreck sites along Florida’s Treasure Coast.
They weren’t just finding coins — they uncovered gold chains, silver bars, emerald-studded jewelry, and artifacts from daily life aboard the ships. Their finds sparked national headlines and drew the attention of collectors and historians alike.
Meeting Mel Fisher
In the course of his work, Kip Wagner crossed paths with another treasure hunter whose name would become legendary — Mel Fisher. At the time, Fisher was a diving instructor and fellow adventurer with a knack for organization and publicity.
While Wagner was more grounded in research and methodical searching, Fisher brought energy, optimism, and a relentless “today’s the day” attitude. The meeting of these two men would set the stage for some of the greatest treasure finds in Florida history.
From Sunken Treasure to Your Treasure Drawer
Kip Wagner’s story proves that incredible value can be hiding in plain sight — whether it’s centuries-old gold on the ocean floor or forgotten jewelry in a dresser drawer.
You don’t have to be a diver to uncover your own treasure.
QuickCashFor.Gold’s free, no-risk appraisal kit lets you safely send in your unwanted gold, silver, or platinum from the comfort of your home. Our experts will assess your items, give you a fair offer, and send payment fast — so you can turn hidden value into real cash without getting wet.
Next in this series: Part Three – From the Real Eight Company to the Big Score: Kip Wagner, Mel Fisher, and the Treasure Coast’s Modern Legacy