Kategorie: News
Large amounts of gold suspected in wreck
In a move eagerly awaited by treasure hunters, the Colombian government has determined the conditions under which the legendary Spanish galleon "San Jose" and artifacts from it may be recovered.
Companies and individuals interested in salvaging the historic sailing ship full of gold and gems must sign a "contract" with the state in advance and then submit a detailed inventory of their findings later.
The modalities have been laid down in a presidential decree. The contents of the "San Jose," sunk more than 300 years ago, make the hearts of treasure hunters around the world beat faster. Experts believe there are at least 200 tons of gold, silver and precious stones in the shipwreck.
British attack off Cartagena
The San Jose, launched in 1698, was part of the fleet of King Philip V of Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession. On the night of June 7-8, 1708, she was attacked by British warships under the command of Admiral Wager about 16 nautical miles from the port of Cartagena and sank at 7:30 p.m. local time as a result of an explosion in the powder magazine. The sinking claimed the lives of 587 sailors, soldiers and passengers, with only eleven survivors.
The galleon was carrying about 200 tons of gold and silver coins, as well as over one hundred boxes full of precious stones. The Colombian Ministry of Culture estimates the current value of the cargo at around ten billion US dollars. Other sources speak of a value of at least one billion US dollars.
The spectacular discovery of the legendary sailing ship had been announced by then Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at the end of 2015. The government estimates the cost of fully salvaging the "San Jose," which lies at a depth of 600 to 1,000 meters, at around $70 million (about 60 million euros).
Colombia classifies the galleon and its contents as a "national artistic treasure." According to their plans, the wreck of the "San Jose" will be exhibited in a museum in Cartagena after its recovery.
Various claims made to the wreck
The wreck - although not found by this time - has been the subject of lawsuits in recent years due to the enormous value of its cargo. As early as 2011, the U.S. judiciary awarded the wreck to Colombia, to the detriment of the U.S. company Sea Search Armada, which had claimed to have located the area with the wreck in 1981.
But Colombia is not the only country to lay claim to the "San Jose" and its treasures. Spain considers the historic sailing ship to be its state property. The indigenous Qhara Qhara people of Bolivia also claim the treasure aboard the "San Jose": the argument here is that it was their ancestors who were conscripted as forced laborers to mine silver during the colonial period.
See also news from December 2015
https://taucher.net/diveinside-san_jose_wreck_with_billion_dollar_bounty_found-kaz6095
See also news from June 2017
https://taucher.net/diveinside-spanish_galleon_san_jose_to_be_salvaged-kaz7022