In September 1622, the treasure ship Nuestra Señora de Atocha ("Our Lady of Atocha") sank near the Florida Strait. Now, the $1.1 billion treasure from the wreck is on display in New York.
Location of the Florida Strait
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Priceless treasures
On September 4, 1622, the Tierra Firme flota, a treasure fleet of twenty ships, left the port of Havana, Cuba, for Spain.
Shipwreck treasures
At that time, Spain was on the verge of bankruptcy: war and extravagant royalty emptied the country's coffers. Our Lady of Atocha and other ships were ordered to ship gold and silver to Spain so that the king could pay off his debts and prop up the crumbling economy. However, a hurricane hit the Florida Strait, sinking eight ships.
Shipwreck treasures
Our Lady of Atocha was the rearguard of the fleet, and it was filled with a large amount of treasure looted from Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, etc., and it is recorded that the treasures on board included 964 silver bars, 161 gold bars, 582 copper ingots, 255,000 silver coins, 20 bronze cannons, more than 540 kilograms of artefacts, and a considerable amount of smuggled goods.
Shipwreck treasures
After the sinking of the giant ship, Spanish salvage crews searched for it, but never found it.
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The shipwreck was born
In 1969, explorer Mel Fisher embarked on a 16-year quest for the treasures of Atocha, and in 1973 they found three silver bars that matched the weight and tally number recorded on the cargo list of the Atocha stored in the Indian Archives of Seville.
Shipwreck treasures
In 1975, his wife and children died after the salvage boat capsized. It wasn't until July 1985 that the ship, which had buried a great deal of treasure, finally saw the light of day, with the discovery of nearly 32 kilograms of Colombian emeralds, 180,000 silver coins, 24 tons of Bolivian silver, 125 gold bars and many Venezuelan pearls.
Today, these $1.1 billion treasures are housed in the Merfischer Maritime Museum.
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Priceless
Many treasures have been lost in the sea, but many of the most ingenious treasures remain intact. For example, the Atocha cross and the ring.
The Atocha Cross is set with 9 vivid green emerald cabochons set in a rich 22-karat yellow gold cross pattern.
Atocha Cross
The Atocha ring features a brilliant aqua green Colombian emerald weighing approximately 2.5 carats, set in a high-carat gold ring created for the Spanish royal family in the 17th century.
Atocha Ring
The sinking of these treasures hastened the decline of the Spanish Empire as a world power, but it was also a time capsule of history, offering a glimpse into the past.