US EditionUnderwater Coins Authenticate San José Galleon and Trigger Legal Battle Over $20 Billion Treasure
- The Spanish galleon San José sank in 1708 in the Caribbean during a battle with five British warships near Cartagena, Colombia.
- The shipwreck was located by the Colombian navy in 2015, but its identification as the San José has not been conclusively proven.
- Researchers used remotely operated vehicles in 2021 and 2022 to document coins minted in 1707 at the Lima Mint and artifacts confirming the ship's connection to the Tierra Firme Fleet.
- The treasure is estimated to include up to 200 tons of gold, silver, and gems, with a value around $20 billion, while Colombia, Spain, indigenous groups, and Sea Search Armada all claim ownership.
- This discovery offers rare archaeological insights into 18th-century maritime trade, but ongoing legal disputes and preservation concerns limit recovery efforts.
67 Articles
67 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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