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OVERVIEW:
The "Black Swan", a Colonial period site was discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration in the Atlantic Ocean. Yielding over 500,000 silver coins weighing more than 17 tons, hundreds of gold coins, worked gold, and other artifacts, it is believed that this recovery constitutes the largest collection of coins ever excavated from a deep ocean site. The wreck is located in an area where a number of Colonial period era ships sank and which is believed to have immense historical significance.
To read the latest Black Swan press releases click here
Status
Odyssey has completed an extensive pre-disturbance archaeological survey and the preliminary excavation of the "Black Swan", recovery of the artifacts recovered to date has been accomplished under the supervision of two archaeologists and has followed rigorous archaeological protocols using advanced robotic technology.
All items were recovered in conformity with Salvage Law and the Law of the Sea Convention, beyond the territorial waters or legal jurisdiction of any country. They have been legally imported into the Unites States and placed in a secure, undisclosed location where they are undergoing documentation and a meticulous conservation process by some of the world's most experienced coin conservators.
Odyssey has filed an Admiralty arrest in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on this site. The Kingdom of Spain has filed a claim on this site and on two other shipwreck sites that Odyssey has arrested.
We do believe that most shipwrecks that we recover, including the "Black Swan," will likely result in claims by other parties. Many of these may be spurious claims, but we anticipate that there might be some legitimate ones as well. In the case of the "Black Swan," it is the opinion of our legal counsel that even if a claim by another party is deemed to be legitimate by the courts, Odyssey should still receive a significant salvage award for its recovery.
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