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To: SunkenCiv
At the Mel Fisher museum in Key West they had a gold bar from the wreck trapped inside a plexiglass case so you could lift it to feel its heft but couldn't get it out.

In 2010 some yabbo stole it. By the time they caught him (8 years later), he had sawed it into small pieces and sold it off as he needed gas money.

It was known as "gold bar #27" and there were no casting marks or assayer's stamps on it, which gave them to believe it was "off the books" and being smuggled.

The press reported it weighed 74.85 ounce but nothing I've seen mentioned whether that weight was in ounces Avoirdupois or ounces Troy, which makes a difference because a Troy ounce (traditionally used for weighing precious metals) is heavier by a little more than 9%. IIRC, it was 16.5 karat and spot today is $4000 and change so -- if it was 75 Troy ounces of 16.5k -- today the gold would be worth $200,000 and change. Ounces Avdp would be more like $188,000.

It's value was a sticking point at the trial of the thief because the museum people wanted to lump in a about $300,000 on top of the value of the gold itself for its artistry and historicity. Insurance only paid a little over $100,000.

Anyhow, AFAIK, the museum never replaced it in the exhibit.

8 posted on 10/08/2025 8:53:57 PM PDT by Paal Gulli
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To: Paal Gulli

Wow. One thing it does show, that thieves don’t steal out of need, they steal because they’re thieves.


12 posted on 10/08/2025 11:56:13 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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