VALUABLE MARITIME TREASURES

 14 September 2025: 

 Halfway through September, friends! Where does the time go?! The weather here in the Northeast U.S. has been glorious with clear skies and crisp temperatures. Prognostications are calling for a harsh winter so we need to appreciate these blessings while they're here! And as a matter of historical interest (to some), today is the anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore (1814) during the War of 1812 when Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that would, in 1931, become the American national anthem. For today's post, we look to the Greek Reporter for a bit on some marine treasures.

                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Some of The Most Valuable Marine Treasures Ever Found in History

Throughout history, many treasures have been found, each one with an interesting story. The most valuable treasures ever found in history, from ships lost under the sea to hidden treasures buried underground, have always grabbed people’s attention. [ed: the following are only maritime]

The San José

 

The San José is often called the “Holy Grail” of shipwrecks. This Spanish ship sank in 1708 near Colombia while on its way from Peru to Spain. It was filled with gold, silver, and emeralds. While nearing Cartagena, it met British ships, and a fierce battle followed. The San José exploded and sank, taking treasures worth around $20 billion down with it.

In 2015, a special underwater robot found the San José deep in the ocean at 2,000 feet. The Colombian government now plans to bring up artifacts from the wreck.

The Black Swan

 

The Black Swan was another major discovery in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2007, a company from Florida called Odyssey Marine Exploration found the remains of a Spanish ship called Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes near Portugal.

This ship, which sank in 1804, was loaded with gold and silver coins weighing about 17 tons. The find was named the “Black Swan Project.” It led to a huge legal battle between Odyssey and the Spanish government, which claimed that the treasure belonged to Spain.

The Fatimid Gold Dinars

 

In 2015, a scuba diver named Zvika Fayer made an unexpected find off the coast of Caesarea, Israel. He discovered a collection of medieval Arab gold coins. These coins were from the time of the Fatimid caliphate, which lasted from 909 to 1171 AD. The discovery might be the largest gold hoard found in the Eastern Mediterranean.

At first, Fayer thought the coins were just toy coins, but, in fact, he had stumbled upon around 2,000 real gold dinars. Later, the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Marine Archaeology Unit found another 1,000 coins in the area. This made the total find much larger than any other known gold hoard in Israel.

                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are others - the wreck of the SS Central America should be included - these are some notable ones in other-than-U.S-waters......

And for the record, Maritime Maunder is just short of now 300,000 readers..... stunned!

Until next time, stay safe!

                                    Fair Winds,

                                            Old Salt