Some centuries-old shipwrecks hold massive quantities of gold, silver, and gemstones, such as the San José off the coast of Colombia.
San José in the Caribbean Sea off Colombia
Often dubbed the “world’s most valuable shipwreck,” the Spanish navy galleon San José sank in 1708 during a battle with British ships, carrying 200 tons of gold, silver, and raw gemstones. Estimates of the treasure aboard range from several billion to over $20 billion. Various parties, including an American salvage company (which claims to have found the wreck in 1982), Colombia (asserting a different discovery site in 2015), Spain (claiming ownership as it did 300 years ago), and a Bolivian tribe (whose ancestors they claim were forced to mine the silver), are all vying for ownership.
Regardless of the treasure’s actual value, Colombian law dictates that all artifacts are non-transferable. The San José and its riches remain beneath the waves.
Bom Jesus off the Southern Coast of Namibia
In 2008, a geologist searching for diamonds in a gem-rich area stumbled upon a copper ingot. Archaeologists later uncovered 22 tons of copper ingots (used in spice trading at the time), over 100 ivory tusks, a bronze cannon, swords, astrolabes, muskets, and thousands of pieces of armor. They also found more than 200 gold coins, mostly Spanish bearing the images of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, along with some Venetian, Moorish, and French coins.
These findings identified the ship as the Bom Jesus, a Portuguese trading vessel lost in 1533 en route to India. Remarkably intact for nearly 500 years, it is the oldest and most valuable shipwreck found along sub-Saharan Africa’s coast.
Belitung in the Java Sea off Belitung Island, Indonesia
In 1998, local fishermen diving for sea cucumbers discovered a coral-encrusted mass of ceramics. This led to the discovery of a 9th-century Arab dhow carrying over 60,000 handcrafted gold, silver, and Tang Dynasty ceramics. These artifacts reflect the Tang Dynasty’s ceramics industry and the Silk Road trade. During this era, China ramped up its imports of textiles, pearls, coral, and fragrant woods from Persia, East Africa, and India. By the 9th century, Chinese ceramics had become popular, but camels were unsuitable for transporting these delicate items. Thus, increasing amounts of bowls and plates were shipped via the “Maritime Silk Road.”
John Guy, curator of South and Southeast Asian art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, regards this shipwreck as one of the most valuable, with the largest cargo of gold and ceramics from early 9th-century southern China ever discovered.
Palmwood Wreck in the Wadden Sea off the Netherlands
Named after the hardwood chests that contained its valuable cargo, the Palmwood Wreck revealed artifacts showcasing 17th-century elite life. Divers recovered over 1,500 items, including an embroidered gown with silver thread, fine damask robes, and a ruby-red velvet dress dyed with cochineal insects from the Americas. Researchers also found a silver goblet, luxurious dining sets, grooming kits, Persian carpets, and a collection of 32 leather-bound books from the 16th and 17th centuries.
While conservators have examined many retrieved items, much of the Palmwood Wreck remains unexcavated and is protected by a net to shield it from ocean currents.
Santo Cristo de Burgos in the Pacific Ocean off Oregon, USA
This Spanish galleon veered off course and vanished in 1693 while sailing from the Philippines to Mexico, likely now lying off Oregon’s coast. About a dozen timber pieces from the ship have been found. Its cargo included luxury Chinese silk and ceramics. Barrels of imported European beeswax have washed ashore for centuries after the shipwreck. Numerous blue-and-white porcelain fragments and large timber pieces suggest the wreck’s nearby location.
