Family finds $1M of sunken Spanish treasure | The Compost Bin | Forums

Crazy how much money is just laying on the ocean floor

For a few weeks, the Schmitt family and 1715 Fleet — Queens Jewels LLC had a million-dollar secret on their hands. Last month, they recovered $1 million worth of sunken Spanish coins and jewels off the Florida Coast.

“The treasure was actually found a month ago,” said Brent Brisben of 1715 Fleet — Queens Jewels LLC. Keeping the news under wraps was “particularly hard for the family that found it. They’ve been beside themselves.”

more http://www.floridato...../30744269/

would you have said anything or just melted it down so spain doesn't come after it?

By Friday, Odyssey Marine will unlock its warehouse vaults to Spanish officials and release the half billion dollars in Spanish gold and silver coins it found on the ocean floor five years ago – winding down a fight over one of the largest treasures ever found.

Odyssey and Spanish officials declined to elaborate on details of a handover, but barring a last-ditch legal maneuver, Odyssey Marine officials said they're resigned to losing their fight to keep the treasure they recovered.

Spanish officials said they already are working on the technical details of hauling away buckets of the coins from a warehouse in Florida, whose location Tampa-based Odyssey Marine has never publicly divulged.

"Clearly the political influences in this case overshadowed the law," said Melinda MacConnel, top lawyer for Odyssey in the case.

"We believe this decision will, in the long run, have a profoundly negative effect on Spanish underwater cultural heritage," she added, insisting that legitimate treasure hunters would never go looking for artifacts through legal means knowing they'll have to give up what they find.

more http://tbo.com/news/.....ain-359870