Spanish Galleon Found

The first objects removed from a 300-year-old shipwreck have been revealed—including a porcelain cup, three gold and bronze coins, and a cannon! The items were found aboard the Spanish galleon San José, which sank in 1708 in the Caribbean Sea. The exact location of the shipwreck is a tightly-controlled secret.

The San José is known as the “holy grail of shipwrecks” and is believed to hold 11 million gold and silver coins, emeralds, and other CARGO that could be worth billions of dollars—if it’s ever recovered.

Treasure hunters have spent many years searching for the legendary ship. However, the ownership of the wreckage is in dispute as multiple parties claim they’re entitled to the treasures resting 2,000 feet below the surface.

A U.S. company, Sea Search Armada, claims to have discovered the shipwreck in 1982. The country of Colombia announced that they located the San José in 2015. Spain has also claimed ownership of the ship, and indigenous Qhara Qhara Bolivians say that the treasure originally belonged to them before being stolen.

The Colombian government announced last year that it would begin removing items from the ship using remotely operated vehicles.Deep-sea cameras have been surveying the crash and spotted an anchor as well as cargo such as jugs, glass bottles, emeralds, pottery, and cast-iron cannons. It’s also believed the ship holds 11 million gold and silver coins!

The first objects that Colombia recovered will now undergo a conservation process. The coins feature images of castles, lions and crosses on the front and the “Crowned Pillars of Hercules” above ocean waves on the back.

Ownership isn’t the only thing debated; there is also a dispute about how the ship sank. British documents say that the ship did not explode, but Spanish reports indicate the ship was blown up in battle. Whatever the cause, the ship and its treasure sank on June 7, 1708, while traveling back to Spain.

Ship Treasure Facts
Name of ship: San José
Year ship sank: 1708
Location: Caribbean Sea