who owns offshore treasure?

[maipenrai]

I'm sure this topic has been discussed many times in this and other sites, so sorry if I bring up subjects that have been beaten to death.

Just wondering, how does a country (Spain), claim treasures that it has stolen from others? Spain didn't Buy these treasures, they robbed and killed to get these precious metals and gems, so what is their legal argument that this is now their property?
Also, since most of this loot was stolen from Aztecs or others that have vanished, it doesn't even belong to the country that now occupies that area. Of course Spain isn't the only country that looted, but it seems to be the most active in demanding "Their" treasure back.

I just cannot see any other owner of this loot, except the finder.

If I rob and kill someone and then lose the money, is it still mine? Or is there a time line, that if it was stolen 300 years ago, it belongs to the thief, or in the decedents of thief's. If so, doesn't pirate treasure belong to their decedents? There must be some kind of logic to these legal claims, but I just dint get it.

[Saturna]

That's just it - NO ONE owns it, they only try to get in a position to control it.


Control can be obtained in a number of ways. Physical possesion, courts, force, etc.

Of course, if you have possesion of a treasure and store it in a country that is hostile to treasure hunters, you may lose it.


Treasure is like land. No one has ownership, just control.

[eolson3]

Me. You can write the location of where you found it on the back of a $100 bill and send it to me when you get a chance.

[ivan salis]

no one owns anything really *--ownership of things is just a fancy illusion ----folks might control the use of something or place / the ability to get at it / get on it . --whatever "it" might be -- but you really do not own it

you say you "own" a car but what does that "really" mean --( it means you have to pay a yearly "fee" to drive "your" car that you own-- license plates* and drivers licenses fees * gas taxes *)----- so yes you have the "right" to drive it (if you have the right paperwork via paying various govt taxes that is) --you have the "right" to let others use it -- you have the "right" to be paid should someone damage it in some way and you can "prove" it and who who did it. --you have the "right" to "tranfer" / sell it to another

you say you "own" your home --but try not paying the land taxes on the land it sits upon and see what good "owning" that home does you -- which is why most counties do not want "mobile home" folks --living in the counties since they can just pack up and leave the empty "tax debted" land behind if they so choose to.

so called ownership is a "taxible" illusion * --- the various forms of the govt own's all the land in one way or another --either the federal govt or the state govts or county , city govts * -- thru that "ownership" they lease land yearly to folks via collecting '"taxes" -- this form of land control was originally how wealth was obtained to run the various govt levels in the USA --- since only the wealthy "owned / controlled land" - and thus the resources & profiets obtained from them --either via selling raw goods taken from the land or land a "factory " making finished products was built upon) -- so basically only the wealthy paid taxes and supported the govt -- non land owning poor --were in most places not allowed to vote or sit upon juries (which were picked from land tax rolls )

this changed when the "income tax" was put into place -- shifting much of the "tax burden" upon the working class and adding more money to the govt coffers ---but the govt still mantained its "land ownership" tax basis grip as well.

[rjw4law]

FLorida extended their territorial waters 100 miles out into the Ocean in an attempt to claim Mel Fishers Atocha.....Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mel.