Sanford family finds gold artifact Schmitts uncover ornate high-karat gold pyx No description found
SANFORD, Fla. – A Sanford family has struck gold for the second time in the past year after finding a gold artifact within a Spanish shipwreck off the coast of Florida.
Rick, Eric and Lisa Schmitt found an ornate, high-karat gold pyx in the 1715 Treasure Fleet that sunk off the coast of Fort Pierce.
The Schmitts say the gold pyx is the second piece of an artifact that was originally found in the same area in 1989. It was crafted in the late 1600s to early 1700s and was used for transporting a Eucharist, according to the Schmitts.
The family found 50 feet of gold chains and many gold coins worth $500,000 in September 2013.
The Schmitts plan to hold a formal news conference on Wednesday to show off the artifact and answer questions about the discovery.
Copyright 2011 by Post-Newsweek Stations. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
About the Author Kaitlyn Shemenski headshot
Kaitlyn is a Jacksonville native who started her career at Channel 4 in 2012 as a producer and now oversees the News4JAX+ streaming channel. She graduated from Fletcher High School and is a proud Florida Gator.
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