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Jan 21, 2024 · Authentic coins bear unique markings – a sort of treasure map to their origin. From the minting details to the wear patterns, these markings narrate the coin's journey through time. The Patina: A Story in Shades. Atocha coins wear a patina, a beautiful aging process that reflects their time beneath the waves.
Jul 21, 2013 · News. SUBSCRIBER ONLY. Treasure hunter seeks fabled golden statue offshore. By. PUBLISHED: July 21, 2013 at 4:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 28, 2021 at 4:50 p.m. Veiled in myth, it’s said to be...
Apr 10, 2024 · In the world of treasure-filled shipwrecks, nothing in history has quite matched the San José—a galleon that went down off the northern coast of Colombia in 1708. Loaded full of gold, silver ...
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Dec 1, 2022 · Sunken treasure from "Ship of Gold" to be on display 05:14. Since the recovery of sunken treasure began decades ago from an 1857 shipwreck off the coast of South Carolina, tens of millions of ...
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Records indicate that the ship was carrying coins worth U.S. $400,000—a fortune at today's values.
National Geographic is documenting the S.S. Republic expedition for broadcast on Dateline NBC and National Geographic Ultimate Explorer on MSNBC in January 2004 and for a National Geographic Special on PBS later in 2004.
Deep-water shipwreck explorers have raised Reconstruction-era gold and silver coins and other precious artifacts from what could be one of the richest shipwreck treasures ever found. The treasure was found in the wreck of the S.S. Republic, which sank during a hurricane off the coast of Georgia in 1865.
Records indicate that the ship was carrying coins worth U.S. $400,000—a fortune at today's values.
The paddlewheel steamship went to the bottom of the Atlantic in October 1865. The ship was en route to New Orleans with a cargo of coins and other supplies destined to aid post Civil War Reconstruction. Passengers and crew were able to evacuate the sinking ship, though some died in a lifeboat before they could be rescued.
The Republic was discovered last August in some 1,700 feet (500 meters) of water, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Savannah. The find capped an effort that had spanned a dozen years, but when the Odyssey team began excavating the site their success was much more immediate.
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A coffin of solid gold held King Tut's mummified remains.
A coffin of solid gold held King Tut's mummified remains.
Photograph by KENNETH GARRETT, Nat Geo Image Collection
While Stemm's team was on-target with its estimate of the coins' location they have encountered some pleasant surprises.
Precious coins aren't the only treasure that the Republic has to give up. The wreck site also offers a rare, "time capsule" glimpse into a turbulent and fascinating period of America's past.
While not much of the ship's hull remains, the rudder, parts of the paddlewheels, and steam engine are relatively intact. So too are thousands of artifacts which are beginning to emerge in wonderful condition—including the ship's bell and much of its cargo.
Carefully documenting and interpreting the site is a priority for the Odyssey group, which wants to share the ship's story with the public.
"This assemblage [of artifacts] tells us what the North was sending to the former rebel states to help rebuild their economy," Stemm explained. "We are seeing everything from pickle jars to dominoes, school slates to shoes…a truly wonderful story to be told."
Technology is boosting the archaeological effort. The precision positioning capability of a new Sonardyne long baseline acoustic system enables the team to create geographically correct photo mosaics of the site at nearly real-time speed.
While the early successes are encouraging, the Odyssey team still has months of work ahead on the wreck site.
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Jan 24, 2024 · In September 1622, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha treasure ship sunk near the Florida Keys. Now, its $1.1billion cargo of plundered indigenous treasures, including a stunning Colombian emerald crucifix, a royal orb and a gold-and-emerald ring, are being displayed in New York. When Nature Reclaimed The Priceless Emeralds
Mar 21, 2024 · The ship had been heading back from the New World to the court of King Philip V of Spain, laden with treasures such as chests of emeralds and some 200 tons of gold coins. Before Colombia...
