# Who Owns (Found) Sunken Treasures?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-found-sunken-treasures/196382>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-found-sunken-treasures/196382 "2003-08-20T05:37:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-found-sunken-treasures/196382/1 "2003-08-20T05:37:21Z")

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Recently, it was in the news that a team found some sunken ship off the coast of Savannah, GA. It contains a treasure of gold coins worth some ridiculous amount today (US $$$). Who has the rights to the treasure? The team? Historians? US Gov?

Also, I wonder: Are the coined valued at such a high price for the gold alone, or moreso because these coins are so rare?

Aaaarrr, matey! How does this all work?

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-found-sunken-treasures/196382/2 "2003-08-20T05:55:19Z")

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As a WAG, I’d say it would depend on whether the state or the U.S. Government wanted to assert rights under recent UN conventions concerning “historic places” or not. There was a case in 1997 where California went down that road over a found treasure.