Shipwrecks that lie deep in the depths of our seas have long since drawn treasure hunters in search for their precious lost cargo. In 2007, Exploration and salvage company Odyssey Marine Exploration the ‘Black Swan’ shipwreck with estimated value of $500 million in coins.
Odyssey’s Remotely Operated Vehicle raised from the ocean floor hundreds of plastic containers brimming with coins from the Colonial period shipwreck ‘Black Swan’. With a loot of over 500,000 pieces the coins were expected to fetch an average of $1,000 US each from collectors and investors.
Because the shipwreck was found in a lane where many colonial-era vessels went down, there is still some uncertainty about its nationality, size and age, Stemm said, although evidence points to a specific known shipwreck. The site is beyond the territorial waters or legal jurisdiction of any country. The company looked for exclusive rights to the site and claimed the 17th-century merchant vessel that sank with valuable cargo aboard, about 40 miles off the southwestern tip of England was their find. A judge signed an order granting those rights in a months time.
*image source: shipwreck.net
