Latest news with #SeaSearchArmada
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The Battle Over the World's Richest Shipwreck and its $16 Billion Treasure
Researchers have finally confirmed that a long-sunken hulk off the coast of Colombia is none other than the San José. The legendary Spanish galleon, which vanished beneath the waves of the Caribbean 300 years ago, has been dubbed the 'world's richest shipwreck.' Now the big question is, who does the treasure belong to? The San José was first launched in 1698 and was the flagship of the Spanish treasure fleet. In 1708, it was carrying gold and jewels from Peru to Spain that would help fund the War of Spanish Succession. As the ship approached Cartagena, Colombia, British naval forces attacked. During the melee, the gunpowder stores on the San José ignited, sinking the ship. Nearly 600 crew members perished as the ship went down with its vast cargo of gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, and other treasures. For centuries, the wreck remained lost beneath the sea. Two groups claim they discovered the famous shipwreck. U.S. salvage company Glocca Morra (now Sea Search Armada) insists that it first found the location of the ship in 1981. Then, in 2015, the Colombian navy, working with marine archaeologists, located the actual remains of the galleon using underwater drones. At a depth of around 600m, it is too deep for divers to access. This made it hard for researchers to confirm that it is definitely the San José. The Colombian navy has been using remotely operated vehicles to survey the wreck. The key to proving that it is the San José has been the gold coins scattered on the ocean floor. The lead author of a new study, Daniela Vargas Ariza, explained how these coins allow dating of the wreck and its demise through a process of elimination. These particular coins, known as "cobs," show mint marks from Lima, dated 1707. They also have castles, lions, Jerusalem crosses, and other Spanish imperial symbols imprinted on them. 'The finding of to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early 18th century," said the paper. "The San José galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics.' This Holy Grail of shipwrecks is now at the center of a legal battle. Colombia claims it is the sole owner of the wreck under its national heritage laws. They argue that as the ship lies within its territorial waters, it belongs to them. But others want to stake their claim over the ship and its $16 billion of treasure. Spain contends that the San José is a Spanish ship and so it is Spanish state property. Sea Search Armada says it was the first to identify the general location of the wreck in the 1980s and so should receive some of the compensation. Indigenous communities from countries like Peru and Bolivia are also asserting claims to the treasure since most of it was pillaged from them when they were under Spanish colonial rule. After hearings in Colombia and the U.S., the decision about who owns the most valuable shipwreck in the world will lie with the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Gold from legendary 1708 shipwreck is seen in new images
More than three centuries after a legendary Spanish galleon loaded with treasure sank off the coast of Colombia, researches have uncovered new details about gold coins found scattered around the shipwreck. Dubbed the "holy grail" of shipwrecks, the San Jose galleon was sunk by the British navy near Cartagena in 1708, killing most of the roughly 600 crewmembers on board. The ship was believed to be holding gold, silver, gemstones and other treasure worth billions of dollars. Now researchers have analyzed intricately designed gold coins found near the wreck, confirming they are indeed from the iconic San Jose. The coins feature depictions of castles, lions and crosses on the front and the "Crowned Pillars of Hercules" above ocean waves on the back, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Antiquity. Researchers, including experts from Colombia's navy, studied images taken by remotely operated vehicles of dozens of coins that are scattered around the shipwreck nearly 2,000 feet below the ocean's surface. The study's authors said the exact number of coins on the seabed is difficult to determine "due to the dynamic nature of the site." But an analysis of high-resolution images from the remotely operated vehicles shows each coin's average diameter is 32.5 millimeters and weighs roughly 27 grams. On some of the coins, researchers were able to discern the letters "PVA" — representing a Latin motto meaning "Plus Ultra" or "Further Beyond." That adage was used on currency to signify the expansion of the Spanish monarchy in the Atlantic, the study's authors said. Numbers depicting the coins' denomination and the date of minting (1707) could also be seen. Last August, Colombian authorities said one remotely operated vehicle surveyed the wreck, uncovering numerous artifacts, including an anchor, jugs and glass bottles. The Colombian government announced last year it would begin extractions from the ship off its Caribbean coast, using multiple remotely operated vehicles. The ship was discovered in 2015, but its exact location has been kept secret to protect the storied wreck from potential treasure hunters. Since its discovery, multiple parties have laid claim to the shipwreck, including Colombia, Spain and Indigenous Qhara Qhara Bolivians who claim the treasures on board were stolen from them. The wreck has also been claimed by U.S.-based salvage company Sea Search Armada, which says it first discovered the wreck more than 40 years ago. The cause of the San Jose's sinking has also been debated. British documents indicate that the ship did not explode, according to Colombia's government, but Spanish reports suggest the ship was blown up in battle. Either way, the ship — laden with chests of emeralds and about 200 tons of gold — sank with most of its crew while heading back from the New World to Spain on June 7, 1708. In May 2024, Colombia declared the site of the shipwreck a "protected archeological area." An accused woman skips her pedicure, kills her ex-husband LAPD chief speaks out about deployment of military forces to anti-ICE protests Sneak peek: The Day My Mother Vanished
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Mystery of ship lost 300 years back with £16 billion worth treasure solved
The wreck of the Spanish galleon San José , believed to hold treasure worth an estimated £16 billion, has been definitively identified by researchers in Colombia after its discovery in 2015, sparking a legal battle over ownership involving multiple parties. The San José, which sank in 1708 during a battle with the Royal Navy, was carrying gold, silver, and emeralds from Peru to Spain to finance the War of the Spanish Succession. Academics confirmed the identification of the wreckage near Baru Island, off the coast of Cartagena, through artifacts such as coins minted in 1707 at the Lima Mint, Chinese porcelain, and cannons with inscriptions dating back to 1665. The discovery has ignited a fierce ownership row involving the governments of Colombia, Spain, and Peru, indigenous communities, descendants of the miners, and the treasure hunting company Glocca Morra, now Sea Search Armada. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Indonesia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo The San José was dubbed the 'holy grail of shipwrecks'. The galleon was lost for more than 300 years beneath the waters of the Caribbean. Live Events In 2015, an expedition using underwater drones captured images of the wreckage on the ocean floor. Experts now believe the mystery is finally solved. The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early 18th century. Photographs of the wreck show silver coins minted in 1707 at the Lima Mint, Chinese porcelain from the Kangxi period (1662–1722), and cannons inscribed with markings dating back to 1665. Researchers say these discoveries can only point to one ship: the San Jose. The confirmation of the wreck's identity has reignited a fierce ownership row involving multiple parties, each laying claim to the sunken treasure. The governments of Colombia, Spain and Peru, indigenous communities, and even the descendants of the miners who unearthed the gold and silver in Peru have all staked a claim. Also at the centre of the controversy is Glocca Morra , a treasure hunting company that says it discovered the wreck as far back as 1981. Its successor, Sea Search Armada, is now demanding £7.9 billion and says the current find is within 'a mile or two' of its original coordinates. The firm is also contesting a 2020 Colombian law which states that everything aboard the galleon is the property of the Colombian government. The San Jose's sinking was a significant blow to Spain's war effort in the 18th century. The War of the Spanish Succession eventually ended with Britain gaining control of Gibraltar, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
