Pieces of Eight

Twentieth-century sleuthing methods arelinked with the romance and mystery ofthe past in this true story of a treasurehunt that has yielded millions. Over 250years ago a Spanish treasure armada waswrecked on the Florida reefs, and tenrichly laden vessels were sunk. In timethey were forgotten. In the l 940's KipWagner, then a Florida constructionman, picked up the first clues to the locationof the wrecked ships. They werescarce: occasional blackened silver coinsdiscovered here and there along thebeach. But Kip Wagner's imaginationwas fired, and with the help of his friendand physician, Dr. Kelso, he began thelong research and search operations thatare described in this engrossing book. Theywere joined by a small group of other menand formed the Real Eight Corporationappropriatelynamed for the Spanish ochoreales, or piece of eight. Most of the teamhad other jobs, some of them at nearbyCape Kennedy, and could hunt treasureonly in their spare time. But they persisted.The work was arduous, at timesdangerous. There were setbacks, disappointments,grueling underwater ordeals.But in time the rewards were sensational-thousands of silver pieces of eight andgolden doubloons, silver bars and bullion,gold ingots, gold rings and pendants,priceless Chinese porcelain, a gold necklaceappraised by a museum at $50,000,three million dollars in treasure recoveredso far by this band of hard-working, adventurous,persistent men.