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Odyssey Denies Spain's Claim To Shipwreck Spoils
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Published: May 9, 2008
Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration, which recovered a sunken treasure from a shipwreck that Spain is now claiming, says there is no conclusive evidence that the treasure it recovered last year came from a Spanish warship.
"There is no hull of a shipwreck at this site," Odyssey said in a statement issued late Thursday night. "What we have found to date is apparently a cargo from a shipwreck as opposed to an actual vessel."
But in court documents filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Spain said an inspection of artifacts on the seabed floor where the treasure was found and an analysis of the artifacts and coins recovered by Odyssey show that the shipwreck is, without question, the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, a Spanish warship sunk by the British Navy south of Portugal in 1804.
Spain is demanding that the treasure, 17 tons of colonial-era coins worth an estimated $500 million, be returned to Spain.
"Spain has not abandoned or otherwise relinquished in any way its ownership of Mercedes," Spain said in its court filing.
Reporter Russell Ray can be reached at (813) 259-7870 or rray@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( kimbo ) on May 9, 2008 at 2:56 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Tell Spain to go away
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Posted by ( cromano123 ) on May 9, 2008 at 3 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This could get ugly.
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Posted by ( phil ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:02 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
ok...I claim spain to be my country....My ancestors were there first after the battle of the neantherdal in 23,000 BC!!! which we won!!! lmfao!!!
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Posted by ( kimbo ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:03 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Ship, what ship, prove it.
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Posted by ( kimbo ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:05 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Spanish Treasure NO, the British unloaded it off the spanish then tossed it overboard. Finders Keepers
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Posted by ( RangerDave ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Finders keepers...!
How do you say "Sorry 'bout your luck" in Espanol?
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Posted by ( GF ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If anybody should pay Spain, it should be the British for sinking it in the first place. If Spain wanted it so bad why didn't they find it themselves, they've had over 200 years.
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Posted by ( Concerned1963 ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
And just how does Spain assert a right to circumvent international salvage laws? Heck, they'll probably complain to the friggin' U.N.!
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Posted by ( floridatom58 ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:33 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
"Sorry 'bout your luck" in Espanol 'Combate apesadumbrado su suerte
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Posted by ( ndk ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Let's be fair and split the difference: Salvage rights to the 'contents' go to Odyssey, and Spain gets the ship, and crews remains, which is what they are claiming is so important to them. Like today's governments, soldiers lives mean nothing to those in power, unless they smell profits.....
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Posted by ( DarthRandall ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
"Spain has not abandoned or otherwise relinquished in any way its ownership of Mercedes," Spain said in its court filing."....
"Yeah, we've just let it sit there and collect interest. We were going to get it at some point, we're pretty sure...." - Spain.
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Posted by ( DarthRandall ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Shipwreck? We ain't got no stinkin' shipwreck!!
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Posted by ( Old_FL_Crab ) on May 9, 2008 at 7:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
ndk's plan for split sounds like best idea. Otherwise Odyssey just bills for work preformed. Records search, sonar search, underwater search, salvage work, food, fuel, injuries to divers, etc. Hummm total about $490,000,000 Ok, negotiate on remaining $10M. Oops, lawyers ate that up, all done.
Or Odyssey tells the US IRS 'bout this 'income' US Navy, MOST of it be parked over treasure spot real quick. Bring your armada, Arrrgh!
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Posted by ( johncb ) on May 9, 2008 at 9:16 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This lawsuit is totally without merit!How absurd,next theyll be claiming they never relinquished ownership of the friggin mona lisa!
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Posted by ( mcmurphy7 ) on May 9, 2008 at 9:41 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Perhaps the descendants of the Maya and Aztec nations should sue Spain for damages and genocide.
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