Farewell And Adieu, To You Coins Of Spain
By Wyatt Earp | March 1, 2012
In 1804, the Spanish frigate Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes was sunk by British warships of the coast of Peru. The ship went down with 594,000 gold and silver coins.
In 2007, a salvage company found and recovered the coins – only to have them taken away by the courts. You think our judges suck?
Coins worth nearly half a billion dollars arrived in Spain after lying in a sunken warship for more than 200 years and following a five-year legal battle between the Spanish government and a salvage company.
The Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, a 49-gun navy frigate, set sail from the coast of Peru – then a colony of Spain – with coins to help replenish the Spanish treasury’s coffers. In 1804, British warships attacked as the frigate was approaching the Spanish port of Cadiz and the ship went down, with 249 killed, a Spanish government website said.
On Saturday, Spanish military aircraft landed at the Torrejon air force base near Madrid bearing 594,000 gold and silver coins recovered from the wreck by U.S.-based Odyssey Marine Exploration in 2007.
Personally, I think the Brits should get the coins. They sunk the ship, so they should receive the booty.
Topics: WTF? | 9 Comments »
At the very least, the Spaniards owe Odyssey Marine a salvage fee. Actually, the Spaniards should forfeit it all. They left it laying on the ocean floor all those years. Sucks that they can come in an claim the loot.
Coins go on the boat? Boat sails on the water? British on the water? Superior British? fareweall and adeiu…
I lovw JAWS referneces.
I never really got the reasoning behind things like this. It’s legal to bring up and sell any salvage not declared an international heritage site (a-la Titanic) in international waters for any nation BUT the Spaniards.
What about $3-billion in platinum that the U.S. government might have a claim to?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/03/uk-usa-shipwreck-platinum-idUSLNE81200T20120203
I can see Spain claiming it is still the property of the Spanish monarchy/civil government, but a very large finders’ fee (like 33% or 25% plus costs) should be paid to the salvagers who tracked it down and recovered it.
Still, it reminds me of the marine archaeologists who whine about salvagers ruining historical wreck sites when the archaeologists themselves didn’t or couldn’t find, or weren’t interested in finding the wreck.
There’s more information, good and bad, in the report from earlier in the week too:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/20/uk-usa-spain-shipwreck-idUSLNE81J01C20120220
It belongs to the British
Joated – The salvage company did all the work, and Spain wants the loot. No dice.
Dr. Evil – They’re gonna need a bigger lawyer.
Ranba – Remember when Spain was relevant? Me neither.
Andy – Yeah, they always complain after the fact.
Course they could always just put the loot back where they found it, and tell Spain “you want it, go get it”
I’m with Snowdog, but screw the same location, I say toss ‘em overboard over the nearest deep sea trench.