INDIAN RIVER SHORES, Fla. – They don't call it the Treasure Coast for nothing.

Jonah Martinez, 43, a treasure hunter from Port St. Lucie, was scanning the sand with his metal detector at Turtle Trail Beach Access on Feb. 21 when his device picked up a signal.

Buried beneath him was more than three centuries of history:

Martinez pulled 22 Spanish silver coins from the surf, each dating back to a shipwreck 305 years ago, he said.

Twelve Spanish galleons laden with treasures from the New World were bound for Spain on July 31, 1715, but 11 were lost during a hurricane off the coast of Florida. Most of the treasure lies beneath the ocean.

"Not everyone knows why it's called the Treasure Coast," Martinez said. "This is why."

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Martinez, who has hunted treasure along Florida's coastlines for 24 years, estimated the total haul to be worth about $7,000. One coin alone could be worth upward of $2,000.

Though this isn't his biggest or most successful find (Martinez once found $6.5 million worth of gold coins), the thrill is still there, he said.

"I know how to read the beach, and I'm always trying to increase my odds of finding something," Martinez said.

According to Florida law, recovery permits are required for individuals who want to explore or recover artifacts on state-owned lands underwater, but not on a public beach.

Martinez said he has no intent to sell or polish the coins.

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Martinez said he will put them in a safe spot next to some of his other historic finds.

"It's a passion," Martinez said. "It's the thrill of the hunt that I love."

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