Dilip Kuner
THE world’s richest shipwreck – rumoured to be loaded with €17 BILLION in gold and jewels – is finally starting to give up its secrets.
Marine archaeologists and the Colombian Navy have hit the jackpot, intensely studying the sunken remains of what is now confirmed to be the 18th-century Spanish galleon, the San Jose.
Their meticulous work has not only confirmed the ship’s identity but is now beginning to unveil some of its most sought-after relics, sparking a new wave of excitement in the hunt for lost riches.
Dubbed the ‘holy grail’ of shipwrecks, the San Jose was no ordinary vessel. It was a colossal treasure ship, stretching an impressive 150 feet from bow to stern, specifically tasked with hauling unimaginable quantities of looted riches from South America on behalf of the Spanish Navy.
Historical records paint a dramatic picture of its demise in 1708, when it was blasted to the seabed during a fierce battle in the War of the Spanish Succession.
The Colombian government first located what at the time was thought to be the San Jose off its northern coast in 2015, immediately sparking a deeply complicated ‘custody battle’ over who rightfully owns the mind-boggling treasure, with Spain staking a claim.
Now, authorities have begun poring over a trove of high-resolution digital images captured by remotely operated submarines, offering the clearest glimpse yet at the legendary shipwreck’s contents.
These new high-res images show three main areas of coins on board the ship. These precious pieces were minted in the year 1707 in Lima, the modern capital of Peru. This finding perfectly matches historical records, which confirm that the San Jose was involved in a massive shipment of treasure dispatched from Peru that very year.
“The San Jose Galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics,” stated study author Daniela Vargas Ariza, from the Escuela Naval de Cadetes Almirante Padilla and Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia.
Her team’s rigorous analysis has confirmed this is, without doubt, the fabled Spanish vessel that sank more than three centuries ago.
Vargas Ariza added that ‘coins are crucial artefacts for dating and understanding material culture, particularly in shipwreck contexts. Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins – known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish – served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries’.
She concluded: “This find presents a rare opportunity to explore an underwater archaeological site and deepen our understanding of eighteenth-century maritime trade and routes.”
As for the estimated billions of pounds in gleaming gold, that part of the astonishing treasure has yet to be fully recovered or even definitively identified. The study did not disclose precise figures for the amount of treasure or other artefacts still aboard, but the state-led investigation continues to roll on.
