Treasure: Spain Says "Mine!"

Some professional treasure hunters thought they hit the jackpot when they found real life buried trasure, $500 million in gold coins form an old Spanish warship. But their story that sounds like it was from out of a movie took a tragicomic turn, as the Spanish government is demanding the money be given back to Spain, and a US court ruling has sided with Spain on it.

The Judge said the appeals process must be completed before the money is taken, but for now his ruling is with Spain that the men had no right to take the sunken treasure home with them. Somewhere Indiana Jones is shaking his head in disgust. The judge said it is clear this gold comes from a Spanish war ship, so that means it still belongs to the government, despite it being under the sea for over 100 years. ""The ineffable truth of this case is that the Mercedes is a naval vessel of Spain and that the wreck of this naval vessel, the vessel's cargo, and any human remains are the natural and legal patrimony of Spain..." Quite a story!

Treasure Spain
fox

A U.S. district judge has ruled that U.S. treasure-hunting company Odyssey Marine Exploration should return to Spain a fortune in old coins recovered from the wreck of a 19th-century Spanish warship. In an order filed in Tampa, Florida Tuesday, Judge Steven Merryday nevertheless directed that the return of the treasure to Spain be stayed until an appeals process in the case was concluded...

Treasure Spain