Divers working on the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a Spanish galleon that sank in a 1622 hurricane, have recovered a 22-pound silver bar valued at approximately $100,000. The find marks the first silver bar recovered from the site in nearly 30 years.
History of the Atocha
The Atocha was carrying treasure from South American mines when it went down, claiming 255 of its 260 crew members. Treasure hunter Mel Fisher’s team first discovered the main wreck site in 1985 after years of searching.
The wreck has yielded over $450 million in treasure, including gold, silver, emeralds, and artifacts, since the major finds in the 1980s. Some estimates put the total recovered value at a higher amount when all artifacts are included.
Mel Fisher’s Treasures, which continues operations at the site, estimates more than $120 million in silver, guns, and copper ingots remain on the seabed. The recent silver bar is the latest piece recovered from the ongoing effort.
Salvage Rights
Under U.S. law and international agreements on historic shipwrecks, salvors like Mel Fisher’s team hold rights to recovered items after satisfying government requirements. Spain has previously claimed some artifacts from its colonial-era wrecks, but the Atocha recoveries have largely remained in private hands after legal battles in the 1980s.
The 22.5-pound bar, recovered on June 13, 2026, by Captain Drake Nicholas and the crew of the salvage vessel DARE, will undergo conservation at the company’s Key West laboratory before likely being sold, displayed, or otherwise monetized by the ongoing operation.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
