DST News: Colombian authorities have recovered the first set of treasures from the legendary San José galleon, a Spanish warship that sank in the Caribbean more than three centuries ago and has long been regarded as one of the world’s most valuable shipwrecks.
The Ministry of Culture announced that the recovered items include gold and bronze coins, a porcelain cup, and a cannon—objects pulled from the debris field of the 18th-century vessel, which has been the focus of global fascination and legal battles for decades.
The San José went down in 1708 during the War of the Spanish Succession after a confrontation with the British Royal Navy. When it sank, the ship was transporting enormous quantities of gold, silver, and emeralds from Spain’s colonies in Latin America back to the crown. The cargo is believed to be worth billions today.
That immense value has placed the Colombian government in a long-running dispute with Sea Search-Armada (SSA), a U.S.-based marine salvage company. Colombia says it located the wreck in 2015 through a team of international experts. SSA, formerly known as Glocca Morra, argues it discovered the wreck site in the early 1980s and has taken the claim to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, seeking roughly $10 billion—about half the estimated value of the treasure.
Officials say the recovery effort is part of a broader research mission aimed at better understanding the economic, political, and social landscape of early 18th-century Europe. They also emphasize the shipwreck’s importance to Colombian heritage.
Culture Minister Yannai Kadamani Fonrodona called the discovery a “historic event,” highlighting Colombia’s growing capability to safeguard its underwater archaeological sites.
Alhena Caicedo Fernández, head of the country’s Institute of Anthropology and History, said the newly recovered items allow the public to connect directly with the story of the San José through tangible evidence.
All retrieved artifacts were collected using submersible robotic equipment. They will now enter a lengthy preservation process in a laboratory before being analyzed by researchers.
Historical records indicate that the San José belonged to the Flota de Tierra Firme, a Spanish royal fleet that departed Peru in 1707 loaded with valuable cargo. The San José never completed its journey to Spain; instead, it sank off the coast of present-day Colombia following a naval battle with British forces in 1708.
Source: CNN
