Colombia recovers first treasures from the “holy grail of shipwrecks” PHOTO

A Colombian expedition has, for the first time, recovered artefacts from the Spanish galleon San José, which sank in 1708 and is known as the “holy grail of shipwrecks” for its legendary treasure — 11 million gold and silver coins, valued at around $20 billion.

According to Sky News, the first finds include a cannon, three coins, and porcelain items. The ship, a 64-gun galleon of the Spanish fleet, sank near Cartagena after its gunpowder magazines exploded during a British attack. The vessel lies at a depth of about 600 meters in the Caribbean Sea, and its exact location is a state secret.

Ownership of the treasure remains disputed and has become the subject of legal proceedings in the U.S., Colombia, and Spain. The American investment group Sea Search Armada claims to have discovered the ship in 1982 and is demanding $10 billion for its share, roughly half the estimated value of the treasure. The Colombian government maintains that the expedition’s purpose is research, not treasure recovery; the recovered items will be preserved and studied.

The coins, known as macuquinas, have been handed over to the National Museum of Colombia, while other artefacts are being examined at the Caribbean Oceanographic and Hydrographic Research Center. The Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History notes that laboratory analysis of the artefacts will provide deeper insights into the history of the galleon, including their origin, production techniques, and chronology.

The cause of the ship’s sinking is also under investigation: besides the explosion, another possibility is hull damage. The Colombian government’s research project is being conducted in several stages; the first involved non-invasive study of the wreck site and debris field, while the second involves recovering artifacts and preparing them for preservation outside the marine environment.

By Vugar Khalilov