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Underwater Coins Authenticate San José Galleon and Trigger Legal Battle Over $20 Billion Treasure
- In 2015, the Colombian navy located a shipwreck near Cartagena believed to be the Spanish galleon San José lost in 1708.
- The San José sank after being attacked by a British naval force during the early 18th-century conflict in which Spain sought to defend its territories and interests.
- ROV expeditions in 2021 and 2022 revealed gold and silver coins minted in 1707, cannons dated 1665, and artifacts confirming the shipwreck's identity.
- Researchers called the discovery a rare opportunity to study colonial maritime trade, with the treasure valued up to $20 billion amid competing claims.
- The finding reignited legal disputes over ownership, with ongoing archaeological work and debates on artifact recovery and cultural rights continuing.
66 Articles
66 Articles
Over 300 years ago, the Spanish galleon San José was sunk off the coast of Colombia. It is suspected that there were gold, emeralds and silver on board. A precious cargo that is today estimated to be worth over 20 billion dollars. For this reason, the San José has been called the “holy grail” of shipwrecks and has long attracted treasure hunters around the world. In 2015, a ship was found...
New Evidence Points to World's Richest Shipwreck - Archaeology Magazine
Archaeologists found three areas of cob hoards on the port and starboard sides of the wreck's stern section, surrounded by other artifacts from the ship's cargo. BARU ISLAND, COLOMBIA—In 1708, the Spanish galleon San José departed Portobello, Panama, for Cartagena, Colombia, laden with up to 200 tons of treasure consisting of gold, silver, and priceless gems. The San José was the flagship of the Spanish Tierra Firme Fleet, which had been tasked …
New Images From ‘Non-Invasive’ Study Show Golden Treasure From San Jose Galleon, the ‘Holy Grail’ of Shipwrecks That Sunk in the Caribbean
Somewhere in the bottom of the Caribbean Sea – reportedly along the coast of Colombia – lies the shipwreck that has been called ‘the biggest treasure in the history of humanity’, as we first reported here on TGP back in late 2023: The San Jose Galleon, the ‘Biggest Sunken Treasure in History’, Hasn’t Been Salvaged Yet – But It’s Already Causing Dispute in Court.
By Jack Guy, CNN New research revealing details of gold coins found aboard a shipwreck off the coast of Colombia provides further evidence that it was the San Jose galleon, a 300-year-old Spanish warship believed to contain artifacts worth billions of dollars. According to a study published Tuesday in the journal Antiquity, scientists used an unmanned underwater vehicle to inspect the wreck and captured images of some of its cargo.
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