Valued at about $1,800, the 20 silver coins and two copper bits were taken from an unlocked display case inside the 152-year-old lighthouse. The coins, which date back to between 1751 and 1782, were found in an unidentified shipwreck in 1994 off the coast, near the lighthouse.
Officials said 239 people came to Horton Point during the Saturday event, in which visitors are challenged to tour as many of the area's lighthouses as possible in two days.
"We are simply heartbroken," museum director Geoffrey Fleming said. "It is a great tragedy when objects are stolen from museums -- even more so when they have a very special connection to the area."
The lighthouse has not been victim to such crime since rampant vandalism nearly led to the structure's demolition after it was left unoccupied in the wake of World War II.
A museum volunteer discovered the theft Sunday morning and reported it to police at 7:37 a.m.
The coins are the only documented Spanish treasure found and recovered from Long Island waters, making them a great rarity, Mr. Fleming said. The museum paid "a sizable sum" to acquire the coins for display at the nautical museum, he said.
"The saddest part of the unfortunate event is that it happened in Southold, a place where you just do not expect something like this to happen," Mr. Fleming said.
Southold Police are still investigating the incident and request that anyone with any information about the stolen coins call the department at (631) 765-2600.
jlane@timesreview.com
Horton Point Lighthouse:
How it came to be
President George Washington in 1790 commissioned the lighthouse to be built, but construction was delayed until 1855 when the acreage needed for the 55-foot tall light station was finally offered to the Federal Government for $550.
Source: East End Lighthouses