Divers recover $100,000 silver bar from 17th-century Spanish shipwreck

A silver bar, valued at approximately $100,000, has been recovered from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, marking a significant find from the wreck of the Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de Atocha. The treasure had remained hidden for over four centuries before its discovery off the coast of Florida.

The recovered piece is a silver bar that was part of the ship's cargo when it sank in 1622. The find was made by members of Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions, an organization dedicated to searching for and recovering submerged historical treasures. The discovery occurred on June 13 during a dive, when the team detected metallic signals in the area.

Blake Baker, the lead diver, described the find as occurring during the last dive of the day. Captain Drake Nicholas detailed how tools were used to confirm the object was indeed silver. This marks the first silver bar recovered from the Atocha in 27 years, with the previous one found in 1999. "It's been a very long time," Baker stated in a social media video, noting that both he and Nicholas were only two years old when the last bar was found. "This is huge for us."

The Nuestra Señora de Atocha was en route to Europe carrying immense riches from America, including gold and silver ingots, coins, precious stones, and other valuable goods. The ship met its tragic end when a powerful hurricane-storm surprised it near the Florida Keys, causing it to sink and scattering its treasures across the seabed. Of the 265 people on board, only five survived.

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It's been a very long time. Drake and I were only two years old when the last silver bar appeared. This is huge for us.