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struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
Mon May 14, 2012, 02:03 PM May 2012

US Supreme Court refuses appeal over ship treasure

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant a final appeal to a Florida company that discovered silver and gold on a sunken Spanish vessel but was then ordered to return the treasure to Spain ...

The decision effectively confirmed a February 1 ruling by a federal court in Atlanta that the ship, which was sunk in 1804 near the Straits of Gibraltar during a battle with the British fleet, remained the property of Spain.

The ship was found in May 2007 at a depth of 1,700 feet (518 meters) in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal. It was returning from Peru ...

The hundreds of gold objects and more than 500,000 silver coins discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration, said to be worth $500 million, was reputed to be the most valuable find in history, and the loot has already been returned to Spain ...

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jdWzd9-HHPlKrLTGZCAfwo6s4J5w?docId=CNG.f66868a555cdb1f5203077afbbb81a87.e1

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struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
3. I'd imagine it's all governed by international law
Mon May 14, 2012, 02:25 PM
May 2012

Odyssey Marine Exploration found the wreck near Gilbralter, scooped up the treasure, and quietly brought it back to the US

That's rather like looting an old Amerindian or Egyptian site IMO: it's nothing at all like careful archaeology -- it's just grabbing at potential profit

Poll_Blind

(23,864 posts)
6. My bad- I hadn't read the article as thoroughly as I should have before commenting.
Mon May 14, 2012, 02:31 PM
May 2012

I have to say I still think if someone is going to go through the trouble to find and salvage 200 year old treasure, they should be entitled to something for their trouble. Of course, that's just my opinion and I realize (heh heh) that that viewpoint is not necessarily supported by international or Spanish law.

Amended: What the salvage company did was bullshit too. Especially the clandestine way in which they did it, which leads me to believe they almost certainly had a very good idea about what the consequences would be.

PB

Archae

(46,262 posts)
2. I would have thrown the loot back in the water and yelled "Screw You Spain!"
Mon May 14, 2012, 02:20 PM
May 2012

And what about the Native Americans all that loot was stolen from?

"Oh, they don't count."

CanonRay

(14,038 posts)
5. Sounds like one of them there Sharia Law decisions....
Mon May 14, 2012, 02:30 PM
May 2012

The SCOTUS is really on a fucked-up roll. Guess that pays Spain back for the Spanish-American War...

TexasProgresive

(12,148 posts)
13. That treasure was stolen from the indigenous people of the Americas
Mon May 14, 2012, 09:09 PM
May 2012

Spain stole it and it should be returned to the place of origin.

cstanleytech

(26,084 posts)
8. Right decision for the court to stay out of it though imo Spain should split it with Peru.
Mon May 14, 2012, 03:08 PM
May 2012

After all the gold is both culturally and historically significant to both nations.

 

happyslug

(14,779 posts)
9. This was discussed on DU, when the orginal Court Decision came down
Mon May 14, 2012, 03:11 PM
May 2012

The issue was simple, this treasure was on a Spanish WAR SHIP and under international law, such War Ships always remain the property of the Country that operated it as a war ship (Unlike Commercial vessels, whose owners have to show a lack of abandonment to retain ownership).

Thread from March 13, 2012, when the ruling the Supreme Court refused to hear was issued:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101473974#post15

ManiacJoe

(10,136 posts)
14. Seems like the salvage company
Mon May 14, 2012, 09:43 PM
May 2012

should have known about that 1902 treaty if they are in the habit of looking for sunken Spanish ships.

minavasht

(413 posts)
16. I'd say
Mon May 14, 2012, 10:58 PM
May 2012

if I had spent the time and money to find it, it would have been lost at sea while I was delivering it to Spain. After all, sea travel is dangerous and risky.
Let them then find it and retrieve it again.

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