Emergencies and World Disasters
They Salved a Million Coins - Then the Sea and Courts Fought Back
22 min•24 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
They Salved a Million Coins - Then the Sea and Courts Fought Back
Nearly a million coins recovered from a wreck off Portugal arrived in the United States in 2007 - but corrosion and courts began destroying the find faster than anyone expected. Who could claim a shipwreck whose artifacts begin disintegrating the moment they leave the water, and what happens when preservation fails before a judge decides?
In this episode, we follow the recovery of material from the wreck identified as Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes and trace both the preservation crisis that began the moment the coins were raised and the five-year legal battle that followed. What did the sea do to the coins while they were underwater, and how did those conditions make ownership a race against chemistry?
Person: Odyssey Marine Exploration
Event: Recovery of nearly one million coins
Date: 2007
Location: Off Portugal
Case: Five-year federal court battle over ownership
- Approximately 1,000,000 coins were removed from the seabed and flown to the United States in 2007.
- The wreck was identified as Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, a Spanish naval frigate that sank in 1804.
- UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage was adopted in 2001 to protect submerged objects older than 100 years.
- The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 gives states authority over the seafloor within three nautical miles of their coastline.
- Silver coins carried soluble salts from 200 years of immersion that begin migrating and flaking the metal within hours after exposure to air.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
Nearly a million coins recovered from a wreck off Portugal arrived in the United States in 2007 - but corrosion and courts began destroying the find faster than anyone expected. Who could claim a shipwreck whose artifacts begin disintegrating the moment they leave the water, and what happens when preservation fails before a judge decides?
In this episode, we follow the recovery of material from the wreck identified as Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes and trace both the preservation crisis that began the moment the coins were raised and the five-year legal battle that followed. What did the sea do to the coins while they were underwater, and how did those conditions make ownership a race against chemistry?
Person: Odyssey Marine Exploration
Event: Recovery of nearly one million coins
Date: 2007
Location: Off Portugal
Case: Five-year federal court battle over ownership
- Approximately 1,000,000 coins were removed from the seabed and flown to the United States in 2007.
- The wreck was identified as Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, a Spanish naval frigate that sank in 1804.
- UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage was adopted in 2001 to protect submerged objects older than 100 years.
- The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 gives states authority over the seafloor within three nautical miles of their coastline.
- Silver coins carried soluble salts from 200 years of immersion that begin migrating and flaking the metal within hours after exposure to air.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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