Page 11 - Treasure, World & U.S. Coin Auction 17

DFS: I guess not! Again before I get to Mel Fisher, let me ask you Wreck and getting 1000-2000 coins a day.
this: Until relatively recently, at least in my experience, it DFS: And that wasn’t happening any more?
wasn’t standard for collectors to really keep track of which LU: That wasn’t happening any more.
exact 1715 site their coins came from, but over the years I, DFS: How did Mel Fisher end up with all of the leases on those
at least, have relied upon you to help me figure out which wrecks?
wrecks certain items came from. Can you give any general LU: When Real Eight Co. dissolved, we let Mel come in and take
tips as to how you determine the origins? over the leases.
LU: Well, basically I kept records, in a little notebook. I wrote DFS: Well, of course, most of the Real Eight people have since
down each day what was found. passed away; of those, who were your closest associates, and
DFS: You seem to have a lot of it committed to memory as well. what are your favorite memories of your association with
LU: True. I got interested in the coins very early, knew they were them?
worth some money. Bob Nesmith came down, looked at LU: We were always good friends. I still spend a lot of time with
them and said “right now you think they’re just like oyster Rex Stocker, Kip’s nephew. I see Del Long once in a while,
shells but these coins will be worth a lot of money some day. John Jones; but Harry [Cannon] and Dan [Thompson] and
You need to keep good records.” And he convinced me to do Doc [Dr. Kip Kelso] all passed away. We were always good
that, showed me how. friends.
DFS: And you still have these records, right? DFS: Did they all stay in this area?
LU: Sure do. LU: Yes.
DFS: Were these records ever anything the State was interested in, DFS: That’s amazing that you could stay friends throughout all
or did you ever assist the State in record-keeping? of that. It’s not the usual thing for treasure divers to stick
LU: I helped them, but they didn’t seem too interested. together and stay friends after finding things. What do you
DFS: Right, that’s been my impression. How did Mel Fisher change think is the future of 1715-Fleet salvage?
Real Eight when he came along, and 1715-Fleet salvage in LU: I think most of the wrecks have been found…most of the
general? treasure has been found…still getting a little bit of stuff.
LU: I was working for the Air Force at the time, made a lot of DFS: So you don’t think that new sites will be found?
trips to the west coast and every time I went to the west coast LU: Rex Stocker may have found one in 42 feet of water. I don’t
I would go to dive shops. I walked into Mel’s dive shop and think it will be a major ship. The two capitanas and two
he was out diving. Dee Fisher was there…showed me silver almirantas we worked carried most of the treasure.
cob pieces Mel was carrying in his store…I told her she had DFS: Everything else is just a boat that would not have had anything
half reals…I showed her some 8 reals…Mel was diving on on it in the first place.
the Silver Shoals wreck off Puerto Rico…I told her he should LU: Yeah, not much on them.
stop by to see Kip on the way down…he agreed, started to DFS: Do you think any of the current sites will yield any new finds,
come work with us. The week after the holidays Mel’s crew or do you think they’ve all been pretty well worked, both the
worked five days a week, ten hours a day. He made it more capitanas and the almirantas?
of a business. LU: I think maybe there’s still a partial chest, there’s some jewelry
DFS: Changed the face of it, I guess? to be found, but I don’t think major finds of silver or gold
LU: Yes. coins will be made.
DFS: But also, if I remember correctly, one of his associates was DFS: Not the cargo, in other words.
Fay Feild who brought the magnetometer to work on the LU: That’s right.
wrecks, I’m sure that changed it. DFS: You are also known for your involvement with various
LU: That helped a lot. important salvage operations on the Pacific coast of South
DFS: But Mel had not met Kip until you invited him to come America, particularly Ecuador; what is your role in the
meet with you, is that correct? operations down south?
LU: Right. LU: Provide money.
DFS: How did he and Kip get along? DFS: So it’s just the financial support?
LU: Pretty well. LU: I’ll work the coins, clean them, treat them, once they find
DFS: Did everyone with Real Eight get along well with Mel? the main part of the wreck.
LU: Harry didn’t get along with him, but everyone else did. DFS: So you do provide numismatic assistance with that and
DFS: What eventually happened between Mel and Real Eight and expertise?
how did Real Eight eventually dissolve? LU: Yes.
LU: Mel found out about the Atocha, wanted to look for it, spent DFS: And you do your own cleaning?
more time in the Keys, less time on the 1715 Fleet. So he LU: Yes.
was down in the Keys quite a bit, that’s why we dissolved the DFS: What do you predict for the future regarding these operations
relationship, he wanted to work in the Keys and we wanted to down in South America?
work 1715. Real Eight stayed probably till about 1972 then LU: Well, the wreck we’re looking for, sunk in 1612, should have
it dissolved…Kip had died, so the glue that held us together 6 or 7 million pesos of silver and gold on it.
was no longer there. DFS: Six or 7 million pesos?!
DFS: So it was pretty much when Kip died that Real Eight ended? LU: That’s what they claim. The Spanish couldn’t salvage it, some
LU: Yes, plus the fact that we were used to going out on the Cabin boxes were ruined…little too much mud there.
DFS: What depth of water is it?
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