Today marks the 400th anniversary of the sinking of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. Built in Havana in 1620, the Atocha was lost in a hurricane off of the Florida Keys on September 6, 1622. The Atocha was heavily laden with gold, silver, gems, and other valuable cargo. It was actually part of a fleet of ships that were all lost but it is the most widely known of the group. The Atocha was made famous by its discovery by famed treasure hunter Mel Fisher. Its discovery also lead to a lawsuit against the State of Florida after the state claimed 25% of the treasure found. The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled in favor of Mel Fisher and his company, Treasure Salvors, Inc. on July 1, 1982. As such, the company was awarded the rights to all treasure found on the wreck.
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