Odyssey is not laying down its arms - an appeal has been lodged

Listen to this article Over the last year, we have repeatedly described the events surrounding the discovery of one of the greatest treasures in history. It is, of course, the huge cargo of coins from the wreck of the vessel Nuestra Senora de la Mercedes, also known before its identification as the Black Swan. The

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: February 9, 2012 - 17:53

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 06:15

Odyssey is not laying down its arms – an appeal has been lodged

Listen to this article

Over the last year, we have repeatedly described the events surrounding the discovery of one of the greatest treasures in history. It is, of course, the huge cargo of coins from the wreck of the vessel Nuestra Senora de la Mercedes, also known before its identification as the Black Swan.

-- Advertisement --

The enormous value of the treasure fished by Odyssey Marine Exploration has attracted the interest of the Spanish government, which, in its current situation, would not disdain an injection of $500 million. The case, as is usual with such sums, went to court. In a recent ruling, the finder was ordered to return all excavated goods to their rightful owner.

Last Monday, however, Odyssey’s lawyers filed an appeal against the decision and want to fight for justice in the highest court. After all, it’s not easy to give up a find consisting of 594,000 silver and gold coins, and which has cost a considerable amount of money to search for and bring to the surface.

The case has been pending for 5 years and is slowly coming to an end, as both parties have run out of possibilities to appeal to subsequent instances. The final fate of the cargo, which has rested peacefully on the ocean floor since 1804, will be known after the appeal is resolved.

So far, Odyssey is out of luck, as lower courts in Tampa and Atlanta have ruled in favour of the Spanish.

Source: elpais.com

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.