Santa Maria de Yciar — Port Mansfield Cut

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Santa Maria de Yciar — Port Mansfield Cut

Lost Treasure TX • Kenedy County County
Description
1957 discovery site where dredging the Port Mansfield Channel crushed the buried hull of the Santa Maria de Yciar (1554) and spewed hundreds of sparkling Spanish silver coins onto the cut banks.
Historical Notes
On October 20, 1957, the dredge Miami opened the final cut through Padre Island, splitting North and South Padre. Continuing dredging exposed silver reales from the fourth-century-buried galleon Santa Maria de Yciar. The 1554 fleet had carried roughly $9.8 million (1975 values) spread across four ships; this vessel's destruction during channel work ended hopes of intact hull archaeology at the cut. Texas Standard notes recent deep dredging to 23 feet reported no new coins — but the 1554 disaster remains the dramatic origin story of the Mansfield jetties treasure tale.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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