NationStates Jolt Archive

A record haul of half a million silver and gold coins from a 17th Century shipwreck may have been found just 40 miles from Land's End, an expert said.

US treasure hunters said the coins, worth an estimated $500m (£253m), were recovered in the Atlantic Ocean.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6671975.stm

This does seem a bit like the issue in Nationstates, although as far as I can see there isn't any dispute over ownership at the moment. If there were to be a problem, who do you think the treasure should belong to? The finders? The nation? The descendants of the original owner?

Oh, and before you go and put your wetsuit on, they're keeping the exact location secret. :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6671975.stm

This does seem a bit like the issue in Nationstates, although as far as I can see there isn't any dispute over ownership at the moment. If there were to be a problem, who do you think the treasure should belong to? The finders? The nation? The descendants of the original owner?

Oh, and before you go and put your wetsuit on, they're keeping the exact location secret. :(

finder's keepers loser's weepers

From what I read it was in international waters so no nation has a claim to it. I think the group that found it is leaning heavily towards selling it on the open market to collectors as well as to various museums.

"That belongs in a museum!!"

http://www.icicom.up.pt/blog/take2/Indiana%20Jones.jpg

Smelt, ingot, sell.

Hey what's going on? Can a country not deposit some of its gold reserves off its coast any more without some American treasure hunters coming along and claiming it should belong to them? It' s sort of off-shore banking. Bah. Bah, I say.

"It's too bad you don't speak Hovitos."

http://indysaga.free.fr/images/portbelloq.jpg

"It's too bad you don't speak Hovitos."

http://cultes.ifrance.com/photo%20aventuriers%20belloq.jpg

403 Forbidden. *is felt rejected*

Smelt, ingot, sell.

That would be a really bad idea since the coins are definitely worth many times more than their metal content, especially if they're of a rare mintage or are of a variety that is in high demand. Collectors items, especially ones with investment value like coins, are always going to have huge premiums over the metal they're made of.

*** Mine mine it's all mine ***

<Does a Daffy Duck>

From what I read it was in international waters so no nation has a claim to it. I think the group that found it is leaning heavily towards selling it on the open market to collectors as well as to various museums.

Ebay anyone?:p

AMK
xxx

I wonder what other interesting artifacts they'll find down there. I love it when they recover bottles of wine & that sort of stuff.

I wonder what other interesting artifacts they'll find down there. I love it when they recover bottles of wine & that sort of stuff.

Mmmmmm, centuries old wine.

Mmmmmm, centuries old wine.

Vintage 1603.

I'd say it belongs to the fish.

I'd say it belongs to the fish.

Then it will be easy to steal.

And we can eat the fish.

Museums. :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6671975.stm

This does seem a bit like the issue in Nationstates, although as far as I can see there isn't any dispute over ownership at the moment. If there were to be a problem, who do you think the treasure should belong to? The finders? The nation? The descendants of the original owner?

Oh, and before you go and put your wetsuit on, they're keeping the exact location secret. :(

1: This gold belongs to the people!
2: This gold belongs to the government!
3: Leave it be you are destroying a man-made reef system!

Or simply choose to dismiss this issue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6671975.stm

This does seem a bit like the issue in Nationstates, although as far as I can see there isn't any dispute over ownership at the moment. If there were to be a problem, who do you think the treasure should belong to? The finders? The nation? The descendants of the original owner?

Oh, and before you go and put your wetsuit on, they're keeping the exact location secret. :(There are specific laws dealing with finding treasure. Generally they entail you getting basically sweet fuck all except for a finder's fee, and the treasure being claimed by whatever country claims those particular waters.

There are specific laws dealing with finding treasure. Generally they entail you getting basically sweet fuck all except for a finder's fee, and the treasure being claimed by whatever country claims those particular waters.

Well, it looks like it's going to fall under US jurisdiction, as the people who found it have whisked it all off there.

Critically, the coins were taken to the US. Had they been brought into the UK, the Receiver of Wreck would have impounded them until ownership was decided which could take years.

As some experts believe the wreck to be the Merchant Royal, an English ship carrying stolen Spanish treasure which sank in 1641, claims could be made by Spain or the British government.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6672725.stm

it's mine, it fell out of my pocket last time i was in... wherever the OP said it was found.

*waits for Sealands press release*