Semi-spoilers for Goonies, I guess.
I just finished listening to a podcast about the movie Goonies, and one of the hosts suggested that One-Eyed Willy’s ship might be worth more than the treasure the kids found inside. How much would the ship be worth? And would it belong to the kids who discovered it?
As a presumably seaworthy ship from the Golden age of Piracy (c. 1650s to 1730s) it would be unique.
One-Eyed Willy’s ship from The Goonies:
The closest thing that exists is the Vasa, a Swedish warship built between 1626 and 1628, that sunk on its maiden voyage and was raised in 1961:
Then there’s HMS Victory a first-rate ship of the line launched in 1765, which would be larger than any pirate ship:
Obviously, technically it’s not really “worth” anything. A ship that size without a motor probably wouldn’t be allowed in any modern harbours, it’s not practical as a yatch or cargo ship. But then, a Van Gogh is just a painting. I assume museums and private collectors would be fighting over buying it for a tidy sum to put on display. For that, the history and provenance are important details.
(IIRC old wood ships needed regular maintenance to remove barnacles, replace wood that went rotten or worm-infested, etc. Later, they began to plate the underside with copper sheet to prevent this.)
I also wonder if all of the tunnels under the town would be designated a historical treasure, but that can be another thread. 
The answer to the question “What is this-or-that worth?” is inevitably: Whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it. I doubt there’s a precedent when a ship like that was sold in recent times, so it’s hard to make an estimate what it would sell for, but I’m sure museums or private collectors would be willing to come up with a decent sum.
Well, most pirate ships were small schooner types, with a handful of guns and a large crew that hugged the coast. Not worth all that much.
Now One Eyed Willys ship would be worth a lot to a museum or a nation, but it’s hard to quantify.
I agree. It would be a star attraction in most museums. (I think Mikey Walsh’s father was a curator at the local history museum so he’s going to have a really terrific addition for the collection.)
BTW, I rewatched Raiders of the Lost Ark recently, and the same thing might be said about the lost city of Tanis. Can you imagine the archaeological and historical value of that city? The map room alone would be of huge interest.
FWIW, the replica of the Bounty built for the Mel Gibson version of the film cost $4,000,000.