Spanish Calims to Treasures

[darkprojectsinc]

I find the news here

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20080124-1309-shipwrecktreasure.html

disturbing to say the least. Does any one have any new information or updates on this?

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

The way I understood that, is that the issue WASN'T that Spain thinks that anything, world-wide, with a Spanish historic origin, belongs to them. The issue was that it was found perhaps PRESENTLY in their waters, or had come into port after being in international waters, therefore re-patriating it. So Spain can't just claim things that originated in Spain, no matter where in the world they are found.

I suppose this gets muddied because, what if a current wreck went down, and someone went down and salvaged? To put it another way, that would be like if a family member of yours wrecked their car on public land, and, in the process, a box of jewelry got flung out of the car wreck, spreading jewelry about the landscape. Let's say that you went home to get your metal detector, and, when you got the wreck site, someone was already there combing the side of the freeway with their detector, telling you "finders keepers loosers weepers". Of course, that's a present day current illistration. What if it were just a year ago? What if it were 10 yrs. ago, and your insurance company had made a big payout on the claim? Or what if it was 10 yrs. ago, and you recognized a rolex watch that had belonged to your dad, being held up by the salvors? Is it now theirs? Or yours? How about 20 yrs. ago? Heck! there are people that, even as late as 60 yrs. after the end of WWII, saw paintings in a museum somewhere, that they recognized as having been looted from their family's estates in Europe, when they were a kid. Does that mean it's there's by succession of parents to children?

In other words, at WHAT point, and how many years, does a treasure become no man's property? There are insurance companys that trace their lineage back 200-ish years, with accurate records of all their payouts. And of course, if they pay out, they lay claim to if the "lost" item they paid out on, is ever to actually be recovered. I mean, can you imagine, if your wife looses her ring that she had insured (or is stolen or whatever). Then they pay her the insurance payout. But wait! A year later, the rings turns up behind the washing machine, or you find it in the yard with your detector, or whatever. Do you think you get to keep the insurance money AND the ring you ended up finding? I think that's insurance fraud. So, take that example, and ask yourself, how many years can some company trace back their claims too?

I believe the $$ found in your link though, had nothing to do with family or insurance claims, and just a question on where exactly it was found.

Hey, I have some Spanish Reales I've found here in CA. I wonder if Spain can come try to claim them?

 

[lou423]

Read about this case before.
Most governments are like leeches.
After you do the hard work, they come to
receive the benefits.

 

[Philvis]

You have got to love Spain. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. They can go over and loot and destroy entire cultures in Central and South America and then centuries later try to lay claim to their wrecked galleons that transported these spoils back to Spain. In theory it should be the Central and South American countries laying claim to the gold/silver/jewels if Spain actually thinks they are due the bounty. It is a shame that the courts even hear the claims from Spain. Odyssey Marine should be countersueing Spain for the false imprisonment and seizure.

 

[dirtyJohn]

You have got to love Spain. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. They can go over and loot and destroy entire cultures in Central and South America and then centuries later try to lay claim to their wrecked galleons that transported these spoils back to Spain. In theory it should be the Central and South American countries laying claim to the gold/silver/jewels if Spain actually thinks they are due the bounty. It is a shame that the courts even hear the claims from Spain. Odyssey Marine should be countersueing Spain for the false imprisonment and seizure.

Agreed, morever these South American countries should file laws suits against Spain since spain is claiming legal ownership of the bounty they should be held accountable for the means in which this bounty was obtained. Turn their greed against them.

 

[CRAZY-TEXICAN]

I guess some things never change...

500 years of greed and still counting !!