This shipwreck contains a treasure estimated at £17 billion, but it is well hidden

Not millions, but billions. That's how much the 20 tonnes of gold, silver and emeralds still aboard the galleon that sank hundreds of years ago are worth. It's a treasure that's about to be recovered, and one that's bound to arouse envy.

£17 billion trapped under the sea

This 18th-century Spanish galleon came to a tragic end. Some 300 years ago, off the coast of Colombia, not far from the city of Cartagena, her voyage took her to the Caribbean seabed. While there are many ships in the region with similar tragic fates, this one fascinates adventurers. The reason? It contains a treasure worth almost £17 billion. And best of all, it's about to be exhumed.

In the form of silver from Bolivia, emeralds mined in Colombia, gold coins and fine porcelain, this loot earned the ill-fated galleon the deserved nickname of 'the richest shipwreck in the world'. It was discovered in 1981 by the Sea Search Armada, an American underwater exploration company. But who owned the treasure was for a long time the source of an intense tug-of-war between the company and the Colombian government. A dispute that is not about to end just as the famous treasure is about to be brought to the surface.

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The world's richest shipwreck

In 1708, the 62-gun Spanish galleon San José, which sailed from Panama to Colombia, was sunk at sea by the British army. Of the 600 sailors on board, only 11 survived. This period of history was marked by the intense and violent colonization of South America and the Caribbean by European nations. It was defined by the genocide of indigenous populations, the terrible enslavement of millions of Africans via the Triangular Trade, clashes between the various crowns and the apogee of piracy.

More than just an archaeological and historical issue, recovering the San José treasure also has a political dimension for Juan Manuel Santos, the outgoing president who is aiming for re-election in 2026. But whoever wins the treasure on his behalf, there is no doubt that its exhumation will enable us to learn ever more about this part of history. To be continued.

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

Sea Search Armada

New York Post: ‘Holy Grail of shipwrecks’ to be exhumed off Colombia with $20B sunken treasure