Historians have confirmed the identity of the long-lost Spanish galleon San José, sunk in 1708 during a fierce naval battle with the British off the coast of modern-day Colombia.
The galleon, which was carrying an estimated NZD $28 billion in gold, silver, and uncut gems, was verified through a detailed underwater survey that uncovered hundreds of distinctive gold coins linked to a mint in colonial Lima.
The discovery reignites a decades-long dispute over ownership between Colombia, Spain, a U.S. salvage company, and Indigenous groups who claim the treasure was originally looted from their lands.
The San José was part of a heavily armed treasure fleet struck by Commodore Charles Wager’s squadron, with the galleon exploding after a British cannon hit its magazine.
The confirmation of the wreck’s identity, aided by images of bronze cannons with a dolphin emblem and high-resolution scans of the ship’s contents, has now landed at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. With international maritime law offering little clarity, the case pits colonial history, modern sovereignty, and Indigenous restitution claims against each other in a high-stakes legal and ethical battle.
Finders’ keepers’