TREASURE hunting for a scuba diver in the Florida Keys led him to an extremely valuable ancient relic.
Zach Moore is an engineer and diver at Mel’s Fisher Treasures, a museum of aquatic wonders in Sebastian, two hours north of Miami.
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“Scuba diving for gold — it runs in the blood,” Moore told the Miami Herald.
“I’ve just got to get back out there so I can find more.”
He took a trip 30 feet deep into the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a shipwreck from 1662, which led him to a coin worth $98,000.
He was “ecstatic” after finding more than one wealthy discovery, yet his search never stops.
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The thirst for treasure hunting is rooted deep in his genes.
FAMILY TIES
Moore’s parents met in the 1980s on a team of shipwreck experts who uncovered the same wreck where he found the rare coin.
He used a metal detector during the dive, when suddenly a ding noise rerouted him to a shining silver coin.
After he scooped it up though, he noticed something else three feet beyond him.
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The gold coin was wedged into a tiny opening of the bedrock, but Moore’s eyes were able to spot it.
He described the coin as beautiful, shimmering in the sunlight with a tall and sleek cross design in the center.
“It was a little glint and a splash of this yellow gold,” he said.
His manager and other members of the community were amazed.
“It’s quite an incredible find, said Kim Fisher, Mel’s son and CEO of Mel’s Fisher Treasures.
“It’s the first gold coin in 20 years.”
The abandoned Spanish fleet now has 121 coin finds bagged in the scorebook.
“Gold shines forever,” Moore said. “It looks and feels exactly the same as the day it went down 400 years ago.”
MORE RARE FINDS
Treasure hunters don’t necessarily need to be sporty scuba divers or extensive galleon historians.
Some coins worth loads of cash can be lurking in your very own home.
Social media sites have grown platforms for expert and ammeter coin roll hunters sharing their best tips.
A coin hunter showed TikTok followers an unusual error which made her penny worth $5,640.
It was all about the coin’s weight, since regular pennies are 2.56 grams and this on was 3.1 grams.
Items buried in drawers or deep inside dusty attics may lurk as small hidden house treasures.
Old tech gadgets or classic toys, depending on their condition, could be more than just nostalgic.
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And one lucky poker player turned their pocket change to a fortune with a coin worth $80,000.
Meanwhile, this farmer generously split a $2.4 million fortune of gold change with his best bud.
