[Captain Beyond]

ping

[MeganC]

Were I in charge of the company I’d put the treasure back where I found it.

[SeeSharp]

This is bad. It means future treasure hunters will simply melt historic artifacts and sell the gold, without telling anyone where it came from.

[grobdriver]

Hopefully Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. did not publish the lat/long of the discovery.
They should just up anchor and sail away and let the Spaniards find it again.

No mention in the article of a salvage claim or award.

[Red Badger]

The court also referenced a 2001 signing statement by President Clinton which stated, "(the United States) recognizes that title to a United States or foreign sunken State craft, wherever located, is not extinguished by passage of time, regardless of when such sunken State craft was lost at sea."

The ship is Spain's. The treaty doesn't say anything about it's cargo...........

[TexasFreeper2009]

wow... did the finders even get paid for the expense they incurred finding the treasure?

[miele man]

If the courts and treaties give title to treasure and “booty” in perpetuity, then why go to the expense of hunting for treasure? These guys are in it for the money first and foremost, aren’t they? Are all treasure hunters doing this only for altruistic reasons? I doubt it.

[apillar]

That's what you get for trying to play by the rules in today's America. They should have not told a soul, crammed as much as they could into their boat, smuggled it back into the country and sold it in lots small enough not to arouse an suspicion as “Old Spanish Dabloons” that have been in my family for generations.

[JohnBrowdie]

a treaty is a treaty, even if it was signed by a huge dummie.

[colorado tanker]

The article says the U.S. and Spain have a treaty stating Spanish ships remain Spain’s property. If so, how is this an outrageous situation? Shouldn’t the company have researched the law before spending all that money?

[Sarajevo]

Treasure hunting never pays. Every moocher and government in the world seems to have an excuse for a share. If I’d have found it, I wouldn’t tell a soul.

[mo]

I’d make sure my Odyssey Marine Boat, full of treasure, was “lost” at sea.....

[FReepaholic]

Our lovely government was actively working against a US company:

WikiLeaks reveals a secret deal against Tampa's Odyssey Marine Exploration

[Truth29]

Need somebody old enough or sick enough not to care about the consequences: destroy it.

[Cheburashka]

Actually the ship was sunk off the southern coast of Portugal.

http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/1804/c_santamaria.html

The action is fictionalized in both the Horatio Hornblower and the Aubrey-Maturin series, with the fictional heroes of each respectively playing a part in the action.

[LibWhacker]

The court also referenced a 2001 signing statement by President Clinton which stated, "(the United States) recognizes that title to a United States or foreign sunken State craft, wherever located, is not extinguished by passage of time, regardless of when such sunken State craft was lost at sea."

So if they stole it from the Mayans (or the Aztecs, or whomever they stole it from), it's theirs forever?

[SeaHawkFan]

The court also referenced a 2001 signing statement by President Clinton which stated, "(the United States) recognizes that title to a United States or foreign sunken State craft, wherever located, is not extinguished by passage of time, regardless of when such sunken State craft was lost at sea."

Just before Clinton left office? Wonder how much he got paid for this signature?

[Hacklehead]

Search, Salvage, Shut up.

[Jack Hammer]

Dump it back in the ocean; if Spain wants it, f*** ‘em, they can go get it themselves.

[CivilWarguy]

Since in 1804 Spain was an absolute monarchy, shouldn’t the present King of Spain—not the Spanish government—be the rightful owner, as the lineal heir to the 1804 owner?