San Jose Galleon Discovered in the Caribbean!

A.J. Pike

Columbia, S.A. - Treasure Hunters have confirmed the Columbia location of the fabled wreck of the Spanish Galleon San Jose with its reported $17 billion (in modern-day wealth) golden cargo, first discovered in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Columbia in 2015. 

Treasure hunters, historians and storytellers around the globe are lit-up with excitement as the news recently broke that the location of the sunken wreck holding one of the greatest gold and jewel deposits in history has finally been confirmed situated 600m on the ocean floor off Columbia, South America.  

Researchers using a cutting-edge technology that was designed specifically to comb the ocean floor in off-shore waters near Columbia, have announced they are extremely confident the ship’s exact location has been identified, nearly 300 years after it blew up and sank, at the hands of British cannons, in 1708 during a fierce battle with the UK Royal Navy. 

Imagery obtained during the search for the ‘Holy Grail’ of treasure ships has identified coins and artifacts consistent with the cargo reportedly onboard the San Jose before it met its watery fate at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea.

Since 2021, the Columbian Navy has been using a Lynx Saab Seaeye Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to locate the remains under conditions of low visibility and minimal light. 

“Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins served as currency in the Americas for more than two centuries,” said Archeologist Daniela Vargas Ariza, of Columbia’s Naval Cadet School and the National Institute of Anthropology and History. “The finding of cobs (coins) created in 1707 at the Lima Mint, points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early 18th century that shines the spotlight directly on the San Jose Galleon, which is the only ship that matches these characteristics during that time period.”  

One side of the coins, which were identified by high-resolution photos, featured a Jerusalem Cross - a large cross with four smaller crosses, along with a shield featuring a castle and lions within a dotted border. On the flip side, the central design features the Pillars of Hercules above waves of the sea, which researchers said offers the identifying elements of coins coming from the Lima Mint during that time.

“This case study highlights the value of coins as key chronological markers in the identification of shipwrecks, particularly those from the Tierra Firma Fleet,” Ms. Ariza stated. 

Countries in the region have been trying to lay claim to the treasure-laden wreck for years with Columbia, Spain, and Peru all arguing the fortune should fall into their hands once the ship is raised. 

However, a treasure hunting firm from the U.S., Sea Search Armada, is demanding $13 billion, claiming it discovered the wreck in 1981 after stating the San Jose lay within a few kilometers of the now recognized site.

The company is contesting a 2020 Columbian law declaring everything aboard the Galleon belongs to the Columbian government.

Columbian President Gustavo Petro announced in 2023 that the wreck would be raised before his term ends in 2026.