Spain sues to block U.S. claim to sunken treasure

JoshL · May 30, 2007 1:32PM

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN3045872320070530?feedType=RSS&rpc=22

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Spanish government filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court on Wednesday seeking to block claims by Florida-based treasure hunters Odyssey Marine Exploration to any Spanish property recovered from shipwrecks.

The suit does not refer specifically to Odyssey's claim on May 18 that it had legally recovered gold and silver coins worth an estimated $500 million from a colonial-era wreck code-named "Black Swan" at an undisclosed location in the Atlantic Ocean.

But Spain's Culture Ministry has called that discovery -- one of the world's biggest finds of sunken treasure -- suspicious and said the booty may have come from a wrecked Spanish galleon.

"The Kingdom of Spain has not abandoned its ownership and other rights in sunken vessels of the Kingdom of Spain, in vessels sunk while in the service of the Kingdom of Spain, and in cargo or other property of the Kingdom of Spain on or in sunken vessels," said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

"All sovereign and other rights in such vessels, cargo, artifacts or other contents have been reserved," it said.

"The Kingdom of Spain further affirms and restates that arrest, recovery, or other unauthorized disturbance or recovery by Odyssey Marine Exploration of property of the Kingdom of Spain is not authorized, and the Kingdom of Spain reserves all rights and remedies arising from such activities."

A spokesman for Tampa-based Odyssey could not be reached for immediate comment on the suit, which was filed on Spain's behalf by Washington-based attorney James Goold.

But the company has said that the "Black Swan" recovery mission did not fall under Spanish jurisdiction.

Goold said Wednesday's suit was one of three the Spanish government was filing against Odyssey aimed at blocking its claims to various shipwrecks, including the "Black Swan." Continued...

Coinosaurus · May 30, 2007 1:34PM

What? Litigation about sunken treasure? I am so shocked

fc · May 30, 2007 1:34PM

i find it all interesting, but does spain really think they can make
claims going back so far?

people do all this work to recover stuff from the ocean, while spain
sits back and makes claims to everything brought back up.

talk about poor losers ;-)

LALASD4 · May 30, 2007 1:39PM

And is Spain still the kingdom of Spain from hundreds of years ago?

Fletcher · May 30, 2007 1:43PM

Even though I have fond memories of Ibizia (at least as much as I can remember) .... all I can say about this claim is "IDIOTS"

LostSisler · May 30, 2007 1:46PM

Wow. This is really something.

How can they claim this when so many of their ships have already been uncovered without such a lawsuit?

RegistryCoin · May 30, 2007 1:46PM

Spain offers a $500 million recovery fee and voilà, no problemo.

Zoins · May 30, 2007 1:48PM

<< talk about poor losers ;-) >>

I just checked Wikipedia and the Spanish name for the Spanish-American War is "The Disaster"

mrearlygold · May 30, 2007 1:50PM

Should be interesting........

for the lawyers

Fletcher · May 30, 2007 1:58PM

B4st4rd L4wyers

StrikeOutXXX · May 30, 2007 1:58PM

Sounds about like the same thing we're going through fighting with Britain and Canada over treasure believed to be taken from the White House and Capitol buildings during the war of 1812 that was loaded on a ship and ultimately sunk. I'd still like to know what they find.

HMS Fantome

LincolnCentMan · May 30, 2007 2:01PM

The Kingdom of Spain has not abandoned its ownership and other rights in sunken vessels of the Kingdom of Spain, in vessels sunk while in the service of the Kingdom of Spain, and in cargo or other property of the Kingdom of Spain on or in sunken vessels

Ok, the funny part of this is that the gold on those ships were stolen from the natives.

-David

Zoins · May 30, 2007 2:05PM

<< the funny part of this is that the gold on those ships were stolen from the natives. >>

When has that stopped Europeans ... or Americans?

Dahlonega gold was one of the primary factors that led to the Trail of Tears.

BlindedByEgo · May 30, 2007 2:17PM

Cr@p... I'm going to be in Spain for almost a month in a couple of weeks. I hope that they aren't looking for an American scapegoat.

DJCoinz · May 30, 2007 3:00PM

That is ridiculous...they really expect to be able to prove that it came from one of their galleons 500 years ago?! Talk about sore losers! And who did all the work finding and removing? Not them.

<< Cr@p... I'm going to be in Spain for almost a month in a couple of weeks. I hope that they aren't looking for an American scapegoat. >>

LOL, be careful.

lonelyp · May 30, 2007 3:47PM

Didn't Spain allready lose this fight over the ummmmmmmmmm, OH I forget the name of the wreck. But it was Spanish, found in or off of the keys. The ruling was, FINDERS, KEEPERS.

edit to add: Mel Fisher and the Atocha. Thats the one.

Gemini · May 30, 2007 7:58PM

They are drinking way too much Sangria...it is written Possesion is nine tenths of the law...

basestealer · May 30, 2007 9:52PM

There is a really simple solution to all this. The "Kingdom of Spain" needs to fight for what's theirs. They need to load their remaining fleet of Spanish galeons with muskets and cannons, float on over to the wreck site, and protect it! And as was already mentioned, they stole that treasure anyway--it would be like finding the bones of a slave in your backyard and having the family members of the slave owners demanding possession, because it used to be their great-great-great-great-great grandparent's "property". Sorry, that's as absurd as a cheeseburger without cheese. Now, were it me and I found the 500 million treasure, I'd have no problems donating a large sum to a Spanish national museum, or making ammicable arrangements with the government. But once lawsuits are filed, they've shown their ill-will. Treasure hunting is not a glamorous job, and most go their whole lives without a sizeable recovery--the only thing keeping these efforts going is the promise of a prize at the end, and it's a costly endeavor. So if Spain wants their ships back, they should fund the efforts to receover them.

ozzysdad47 · May 30, 2007 10:00PM

<< They are drinking way too much Sangria...it is written Possesion is nine tenths of the law...

>>

What gemini said.................

Shamika · May 30, 2007 10:49PM

.

Longacre · May 31, 2007 2:17AM

One of my favorite places to visit on the Planet Earth is Spain. The people, the food, the culture... you cannot beat it.

ScarsdaleCoin · May 31, 2007 2:47AM

The inside info is that Spain has a legimate claim, hence they have filed to protect their rights...FYI, last time similiar issue happened Spain did the same thing.....and won

LALASD4 · May 31, 2007 2:55AM

Shouldn't Mexico be suing Spain for the treasures plus interest and damages for pain and suffering?

Zoins · May 31, 2007 3:20AM

<< Shouldn't Mexico be suing Spain for the treasures plus interest and damages for pain and suffering?

>>

Yeah, I think they should get in on the action! Why not?

ziggy29 · May 31, 2007 3:35AM

<< Ok, the funny part of this is that the gold on those ships were stolen from the natives. >>

More ironic than funny, but yeah. If this claim is allowed to stand, I think the native Mesoamerican tribal descendants should lay a counterclaim on them.

fastrudy · May 31, 2007 3:50AM

yeah and why not sue the makers of the ship? Obviously, it was not seaworthy. This thread has gone to the lawyers.

Shamika · May 31, 2007 4:13AM

.

LALASD4 · May 31, 2007 4:19AM

Why not just sue every country in the world, obviously it is global warming that cause the storm that sink the ship.

oreville · May 31, 2007 4:35AM

Can my Jewish family sue Spain for confiscating our gold coins then expelling us?

aficionado · May 31, 2007 6:22AM

Hey man, Finder Keepers !!!

If Spain wanted it, they could have spent the last 100 years looking for it.

They wait until someone, who probably spent millions, to find it, then say it's theirs.

I vote, take a hike Spain.

Writersblock · May 31, 2007 10:11AM

<< Shouldn't Mexico be suing Spain for the treasures plus interest and damages for pain and suffering? >>

Mexico loses because Spain never took anything from Mexico. They took it from one of their own territories and moved it to the home territory. Spain "owned" the area known as Mexico at the time so they took it from themselves. The current country of Mexico has no claim.

If the ship was located in Spains territorial waters, they have a good claim.

As for Fisher and the Atocha, his court fight was with the State of Florida. Florida had given him a salvage license in return for 25% of the treasure. Then when he found it they tried to claim the entire treasure. I don't believe Spain said squat about it.

In this case it is a matter of a LOOTED Spanish ship potentially located in Spanish waters. From what I understand Spain had given Odyssey a license to do a search and an archeolgical survey. They did not have a license to salvage.

Camarasa · May 31, 2007 10:41AM

Nice info Writersblock - thanks.

NumisOxide · May 31, 2007 11:08AM

<< In this case it is a matter of a LOOTED Spanish ship potentially located in Spanish waters. From what I understand Spain had given Odyssey a license to do a search and an archeolgical survey. They did not have a license to salvage. >>

This should get interesting!

joefro · May 31, 2007 11:12AM

Have they even released the information of what ship it was. The article says at an undisclosed location in the Atlantic. I wonder what led Spain to believe it is theirs.

LALASD4 · May 31, 2007 2:38PM

On behave of the Aztec Empire (that includes Indians living on the southern part of Mexico), not Mexico itself, I am filing a class action law sue against Spain for war crimes against humanity and for stealing the treasures of the Empire.

seateddime · June 7, 2007 12:23PM

Maybe someone should sue Spain for the treasures they looted to have lost

Spain sues to block U.S. claim to sunken treasure

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