Found Treasure

searcher said:

Update on Tommy Thompson

'Ship of gold' treasure hunter released from prison decade after Florida arrest. Where are coins?​

A former deep-sea treasure hunter who made one of the great shipwreck discoveries in American history and spent more than a decade in jail after refusing to disclose the whereabouts of some of its missing gold coins is now out of prison, federal records show.

Tommy Thompson, who in 1988 located what was known as the Ship of Gold off the coast of South Carolina, was released last Wednesday, according to federal Bureau of Prisons records reviewed by The Associated Press.

More:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crim...-where-are-coins/ar-AA1XV4aY?ocid=socialshare

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where to metal detect gold...

He Tugged a Rope in the Floor and Discovered $2.4 Million
Daily Galaxy

A plumber renovating the basement of a villa in Vienna’s Penzing district made one of the most striking accidental discoveries in recent Austrian memory: a rusted metal chest packed with approximately 30 kilograms of gold coins, cemented into the floor and hidden beneath concrete for what experts believe was decades. The coins, each stamped with the image of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, carry an estimated value of 2.3 million euros, or roughly $2.4 million.

The chest surfaced only because the plumber noticed a rope protruding from the basement floor. When he pulled on it and it refused to move, he broke through the concrete and found the chest anchored below.

Under the Austrian Civil Code, a find of hidden valuables qualifies as a legal treasure when the original owner can no longer be identified. Ownership is then split: the finder receives half, and the property owner receives the other half. The law does not automatically transfer full ownership to the state, which means the plumber may walk away with a share valued at over one million euros.

900-Year-Old Hidden Fortune of Over 2,150 Medieval Coins
IDR

The ceramic pot that held the coins was nearly destroyed by plowing. Only its base survived. The silver denarii themselves stayed tightly packed exactly where they were buried, preserving the original shape of the deposit. The woman who noticed them contacted authorities immediately, giving experts a chance to document the context before anything shifted.

Massive 11,000-carat ruby unearthed by miners in Myanmar
CBS News

Miners in Myanmar have discovered a rare ruby of enormous size, considered to be the second-largest by weight ever found in the Southeast Asian nation. The ruby, measuring 11,000 carats and 4.8 pounds was discovered in mid-April.

While it weighs roughly half the weight of a 21,450-carat stone found in 1996, the new discovery is considered more valuable due to its superior color and quality. It is described as having a purplish-red hue with yellowish undertones, a high-quality color grade, moderate transparency and a highly reflective surface.


I want one!

I bet a talented gemologist could make a really beautiful chandelier out of that rock.

searcher said:

Posted this on a different forum (not gim) 11 years ago. Short, fun vid.

Art McKee: "The Father of Modern Treasure Hunting" at the History of Diving Museum​

3:30

The evolution of modern salvage diving can be understood through life of one man. Arthur McKee Jr., considered the "father of modern treasure hunting," was the first to recognize that the reef-riddled Florida Keys provided a precious landscape for wrecked ships carrying even more precious cargo. He would be the first to salvage these ships, and in the process, become a pioneer in the salvage industry and the history of diving.

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Another vid about McKee.

"DANGER IS MY BUSINESS: TREASURE DIVER" 1961 TV SHOW EPISODE WITH ART MCKEE & JOHN D CRAIG GG50985b​

This episode of "Danger is My Business", "Treasure Diver" dates to 1961. Here, host Col. John D. Craig joins diver Art McKee as he searches for a Spanish galleon wreck near the Florida Keys. Despite dangerous conditions and a near-fatal entrapment while using heavy diving gear, the lure of lost treasure keeps him determined. The story highlights both the risks and the enduring appeal of underwater exploration. Note: Arthur McKee Jr., known as Art "Silver Bar" McKee, was a noted Florida treasure diver and is often referred to as "the father of modern treasure diving" or the "The Treasure Hunter's Treasure Hunter." McKee pioneered salvage work on historic shipwrecks in the days before scuba diving became popular. He had a tourist museum called "McKee's Sunken Treasure" in Islamorada, Florida, that showed off treasure and relics recovered from the wreck sites of sunken Spanish Galleons. Col. John D. Craig was an adventurer, oil man, writer, soldier, diver, Hollywood stunt man, film producer, and television host. He worked in the commercial surface-supplied diving industry from the 1930s on, and filmed aerial combat over Europe during WWII.

25:08

20 franc coins!

Gold Roman ring
CNN

An amateur metal detectorist unearthed an “extraordinary” gold ring dating back to Roman times in a field in Somerset, south-west England. Kevin Minto, a trucker and former soldier, made the amazing discovery while exploring the patch of land near Ilminster.


The ring has now been acquired by a the South West Heritage Trust and will eventually go on display at The Museum of Somerset. Unusually large and beautifully crafted, the ring weighs 48 grams (1.7 ounces). The focal point is a gemstone engraved with an image of the goddess Victory on a two-horse chariot.

Brick of silver from 400-year-old shipwreck found off Florida Keys​

Jun 11, 2026
A discovery not seen in nearly 30 years came to shore in the Florida Keys on Thursday: 22-pound silver bar from the famed Atocha shipwreck.

2:47

READ MORE HERE: https://www.local10.com/news/local/20...

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We Found One Silver Bar. Are There More?​

Jun 11, 2026 #Atocha #TreasureHunting #MelFisher
Just days after recovering the first silver bar from the Atocha wreck site since 1999, Captain Drake shares what the discovery means and why the crew believes there could be more waiting below.
In this video, you'll follow several days of updates from the wreck site as Drake discusses the recovery, the difficult weather conditions, visibility challenges, and the team's continued efforts to investigate additional magnetic targets in the area.
The 22.5-pound silver bar was recovered after the crew changed tactics and began digging deeper into the mud by hand, recognizing that heavy silver bars can settle below lighter artifacts over centuries underwater.
With several promising magnetic targets still remaining, the crew continues searching while weather conditions allow.
Treasure hunting is rarely about a single day. It is persistence, adapting to changing conditions, and following clues wherever they lead.
Join Captain Drake aboard the DARE as he shares updates directly from the Atocha wreck site and takes you behind the scenes of an active treasure recovery expedition.
As Mel always said, "Today's the Day."

5:35

If no more are found it could be from a lost soul? Mel Fisher was famous down here.

nickndfl said:

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That property was my ancestors'. So I am the rightful heir.

Viking said:

That property was my ancestors'. So I am the rightful heir.

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Thank you for that excellent quote. It will be be the basis for millions, nay hundreds of millions of claims.
I do hope that this legal principle does not apply to collective guilt for ancestors' deeds. That might be rather slippery.

searcher said:

^

We Found One Silver Bar. Are There More?​

Jun 11, 2026 #Atocha #TreasureHunting #MelFisher
Just days after recovering the first silver bar from the Atocha wreck site since 1999, Captain Drake shares what the discovery means and why the crew believes there could be more waiting below.
In this video, you'll follow several days of updates from the wreck site as Drake discusses the recovery, the difficult weather conditions, visibility challenges, and the team's continued efforts to investigate additional magnetic targets in the area.
The 22.5-pound silver bar was recovered after the crew changed tactics and began digging deeper into the mud by hand, recognizing that heavy silver bars can settle below lighter artifacts over centuries underwater.
With several promising magnetic targets still remaining, the crew continues searching while weather conditions allow.
Treasure hunting is rarely about a single day. It is persistence, adapting to changing conditions, and following clues wherever they lead.
Join Captain Drake aboard the DARE as he shares updates directly from the Atocha wreck site and takes you behind the scenes of an active treasure recovery expedition.
As Mel always said, "Today's the Day."

5:35

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The First Steps of conserving the Silver Bar

Jun 17, 2026

6:22