After 264 years the HMS Victory has been found.

[no1_vern]

Wreck of renowned British warship found in Channel - Yahoo! News

The wreckage of the HMS Victory, found below about 330 feet of water, may carry an even bigger jackpot. Research indicates the ship was carrying 4 tons of gold coins when it sank in storm, said Greg Stemm, co-founder of Odyssey Marine Exploration, ahead of a Monday news conference in London.

SNIP

The HMS Victory was returning from Lisbon, Portugal, and was probably transporting 100,000 gold Portuguese coins for merchants, according to Odyssey's research. The ship had sailed there to help rescue a Mediterranean convoy blockaded by the French in the River Tagus at Lisbon.

[tony_j15]

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said Sunday the government was aware of Odyssey's claim to have found the Victory.

"Assuming the wreck is indeed that of a British warship, her remains are sovereign immune," he said on condition of anonymity in keeping with government policy. "This means that no intrusive action may be taken without the express consent of the United Kingdom."

So if I dig up a British musket on a revolutionary battlefield, is it sovereign British property?

Great find! I love how technology is giving us a window into the past.

[Epidemic]

god I hate that law!

British government is not searching for it. No one is searching for it... so you decide lets spend several years and millions of dollars and try to recover treasure...

Poof, we own that! because it is a warship!!! there should be an obsolete clause in that law...


It may be a war ship but it is obsolete and therefore not still protected.

[GroundZero3]

"We found this more than 50 miles from where anybody would have thought it went down," Stemm said. Federal court records filed by Odyssey in Tampa seeking the exclusive salvage rights said the site is 25 to 40 miles from the English coast, outside of its territorial waters.

Who owns that water? If its not US property, that salvage rights wont mean jack to some other country!

[Epidemic]

apparently Spain, US and GB all feel they have rights to the water. 2007 there was another story like this where spain was laying claim to the gold...


historic value of the sites is insignificant. (no one is looking and it will never be found so there is no historic value) now that the site is found and the gold removed you can look at the old shoes and rotten timbers. hell spain/england may well want to save the historic nature of the site. ask to be present on the dig to document. any gold you want for your museum is yours for a price or as the salvage company wishes to donate.