Someplace within the backside of the Caribbean Sea – reportedly alongside the coast of Colombia – lies the shipwreck that has been referred to as ‘the most important treasure within the historical past of humanity’, as we first reported right here on TGP again 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.
NEW Hailed because the ‘Holy Grail of shipwrecks’, a wreck off the coast of Colombia has been theorised to be the misplaced San José Galleon.
The outcomes of a non-invasive examine of cash from the wreck are printed right this moment in Antiquity, so right here’s an #AntiquityThread on the findings 1/13 pic.twitter.com/lNsqvVNTWQ
— ntiquity Journal (@AntiquityJ) June 10, 2025
It’s been greater than three centuries after the legendary Spanish galleon San Jose, loaded with treasure, sank off the coast of Colombia.
Now, a brand new examine has uncovered new particulars in regards to the gold cash discovered scattered across the shipwreck website.
CBS News reported:
“Dubbed the ‘holy grail’ of shipwrecks, the San Jose galleon was sunk by the British navy close to Cartagena in 1708, killing many of the roughly 600 crewmembers on board. The ship was believed to be holding gold, silver, gem stones and different treasure price billions of {dollars}.
Now researchers have analyzed intricately designed gold cash discovered close to the wreck, confirming they’re certainly from the long-lasting San Jose. The cash function depictions of castles, lions and crosses on the entrance and the ‘Topped Pillars of Hercules’ above ocean waves on the again, based on a brand new examine printed Tuesday within the journal Antiquity.”
To find out whether or not the ship was the San José, the Colombian navy used an unmanned, remotely operated underwater car to survey the wreck non-invasively. 5/13 pic.twitter.com/4DFGn8ufjn
— ntiquity Journal (@AntiquityJ) June 10, 2025
“Researchers, together with consultants from Colombia’s navy, studied photographs taken by remotely operated automobiles of dozens of cash which are scattered across the shipwreck almost 2,000 ft beneath the ocean’s floor. The examine’s authors stated the precise variety of cash on the seabed is troublesome to find out ‘as a result of dynamic nature of the location’. However an evaluation of high-resolution photographs from the remotely operated automobiles exhibits every coin’s common diameter is 32.5 millimeters and weighs roughly 27 grams.”
The researchers recognized symbols on the cash’ surfaces that point out they have been minted in AD 1707 in Lima, in addition to heraldic symbols of the crowns of Castile and Leon. 9/13 pic.twitter.com/KWqYMrTRPr
— ntiquity Journal (@AntiquityJ) June 10, 2025
“The Colombian authorities introduced final yr it will start extractions from the ship off its Caribbean coast, utilizing a number of remotely operated automobiles. The ship was found in 2015, however its actual location has been stored secret to guard the storied wreck from potential treasure hunters.
Since its discovery, a number of events have laid declare to the shipwreck, together with Colombia, Spain and Indigenous Qhara Qhara Bolivians who declare the treasures on board have been stolen from them. The wreck has additionally been claimed by U.S.-based salvage firm Sea Search Armada, which says it first found the wreck greater than 40 years in the past.”
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