More than three centuries after it sank off the coast of Cartagena, the Spanish galleon San Jose has finally given up its first physical treasures. In November 2025, a Colombian-led expedition recovered five objects from the wreck: a bronze cannon inscribed with the word Sevilla, a porcelain cup, three hand-struck gold coins known as macuquinas, and fragments of additional porcelain, using underwater robotic vehicles to reach the site nearly 2,000 feet below the surface. Long called the holy grail of shipwrecks, the San Jose is believed to be the most valuable shipwreck ever found, carrying cargo now estimated at around 20 billion dollars in today's money. This first recovery reignites a legal and diplomatic battle over who actually has a right to that treasure. What makes these first few objects significant isn't their value but their timing, tangible proof arriving only after three centuries of competing claims finally met a moment of actual evidence.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
