Metal detector leads treasure hunters to 'exciting' discovery at legendary 17th-century shipwreck, Florida Keys
Treasure hunters exploring the wreck of the 17th‑century Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha off the Florida Keys have recovered a heavily encrusted 55‑pound copper ingot, detected after Captain Drake Nicholas picked up a faint signal while following a trail of coins. The Atocha, which sank in a 1622 hurricane while carrying gold, silver and emeralds, has been searched for decades by Mel Fisher’s team, who famously located the ship’s “Mother Lode” in 1985. Copper was a valuable resource in the 1600s, used for casting bronze cannons, and the crude ingot—likely poured into a sand pit—adds to recent finds, including a 22.5‑pound silver bar. Nicholas believes new technology and a cluster of promising deep targets suggest the crew may be closing in on a larger concentration of treasure.
Reported by New York Post. The full report is linked below.
Those four are for England and Wales, where the Portable Antiquities Scheme records finds and the Treasure Act decides what must be reported.
Scotland runs its own system, and every find is reportable there — not only treasure. Treasure Trove Unit ›
The Republic of Ireland is different again, and severely so. Searching for archaeological objects without the Minister’s written consent is a criminal offence carrying fines or imprisonment, and the definition is broad enough to cover coins, buttons and buckles of almost any age. Do not assume British rules travel with you. The law, from the National Museum ›
Northern Ireland is stricter still. The Treasure Act applies and finds go to National Museums NI within fourteen days, but any searching that involves digging — metal detecting expressly included — needs a licence, and licences are only granted for archaeological projects. National Museums NI ›
This site covers discoveries from all over the world, and so does the variation in the law — from a recording scheme that thanks you, to a criminal offence. Wherever you are searching, find out what applies there before you go, not after.
