The Shipwreck Treasure Worth $20 Billion

Today we delve into 4 shipwrecks that's treasures are worth millions upon millions in today money! The SS City of Cairo, Las Cinco Chagas, SS Central America and the San Jose. Each ship has a remarkable story to tell and an even more remarkable treasure locked deep within their hulls.... ready and waiting.
INTRO: 00:00
SS City of Cairo: 00:46
Las Cinco Chagas: 04:52
SS Central America: 08:23
San Jose: 11:50
Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels- from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!
#shipwreck #hidden #unearthing #treasurehunt #history #archaeology #underwaterexploration #losttreasure #shipwreckexploration #maritime #underwaterarchaeology #adventure #underwaterdiscovery #sunken #underwaterexplorer #historical #oceanexploration #dive #treasurehunting #nautical #titanic #history #facts

[@SuperDiablo101]

Mike once you find that 20 billion dollars worth of treasure im sure you'll share it with your subscribers....right?? 😅

[@caseyironvale20]

I'm pretty sure Mike would like buy the oceanliner his grandparents immigrated to Australia on. (I think that's correct...)

[@Katze5335]

Thanks so much Mike ❤

[@MorrisHillmanVideos]

Unfortunately, that vessel was scrapped in about 1960.

[@gurra7473]

Anyone have a ship?🥺

[@tyvonicus3361]

We would each get about $57k

[@blitzy3244]

"Goodnight. Sorry for sinking you" was wholesome.

[@philtkaswahl2124]

The German captain who sunk the SS City of Cairo, Karl Friedrich Merten, later ironically worked in the civilian sector salvaging sunken ships after the war. The survivors of the merchant vessel apparently also held him no ill will, even inviting him to a reunion of survivors in the 80s and one of them, David Almond, saying "We couldn't have been sunk by a nicer man."

[@sjc4]

they survived. the families of the dead might feel differently.

[@trevorconnatser6161]

@@sjc4forgiveness is our humanity. Without it, we would be nothing different from the other animals which roam this Earth.

[@Matt..S]

I wonder if they also invited the guy from the British vessel that sunk their rescue ship a month later...

[@thomassutherland4470]

​​@@sjc4I don't know you have to remember the world was at total war both captains were doing what they thought was right for the country that they were born into why would you hold either ill will if you want to hold someone hold Hitler or Chirchill and their generals to account not everyday people like you or I.

[@GanzotheSecond]

i mean... he was a nazi... so i dont think he was that nice

[@levimeyer6126]

I swear you and Mark Felton might make the highest quality history documentaries I've ever watched and you both just put them out for free on youtube. Incredible. Consistently deeply informative, no nonsense, accurate, and well made. You are an excellent historian sir, thank you.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

It's people like you that keep me doing what I'm doing, thank you.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Please don't compare our friend Mike to Felton. Felton is a grinder living off his former reputation imo. Mike takes care to be accurate, he's certainly not a cynical view chaser. It is easy to mistake production quality for actual quality. Mike does both. Anyway, we can both agree on Mike's excellence. Cheers.

[@levimeyer6126]

@@UncleJoeLITE To each their own friend. I have never watched a Mark Felton video and not learned something. They are both providing a quality service. That said, this channel goes above and beyond anything else I've seen on this platform. True quality.

[@kylesanders8276]

The Feltmeisterr. I like his videos

[@RedDragon052]

@@levimeyer6126 The problem with Felton is that he plagerizes much of his videos, and many of them are factually inaccurate. Mike puts far more effort into his work.

[@zyloproductions4870]

One story that I’ll always remember is the sinking of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. It was a Spanish treasure vessel that was carrying around $400 million in today’s money on its final voyage in 1622, over 401 years ago. It was in a convoy of cargo and treasure ships heading from Central America back to Spain. But as they were sailing across the Atlantic, the ships, including the Atocha, were all caught in a massive hurricane off the Florida coastline. All the ships were badly battered by the storm, several of them began to take on water from the violent waves. One ship was reportedly capsized. The Atocha tried to battle through it, but the waves caused the vessel to strike a reef. The severe water damage caused the vessel to sink fast. By the time it was all over, the Atocha, along with several of its sister ships had foundered. There were only 5 survivors from the Atocha, and the multi-million dollar treasure was lost to the sea. Salvage teams managed to find the treasures from the other sunken sister ships, but the Atocha was never found. It wasn’t until the 1960 that an ocean historian named Mel Fisher rediscovered the wreck. It took 25 more years, but eventually the buried cargo hold was found, and the ships treasures (although rusty) were found. They are now in museums all over the world! It’s important I think that those treasures were found, because that would mean the people who had died on her wouldn’t have died in vain, And the treasure will remind future generations to honor their lives lost on the high seas.

[@jacobschahczinski1441]

There’s a terrific documentary on the Atocha on KZbin featuring Mel Gibson about its history and how they found it on KZbin

[@Tom_Samad]

Mel Fisher the treasure hunter or Mel Gibson the Hollywood actor?​@@jacobschahczinski1441

[@jonathanabbott8579]

The photos found aboard the "Central America" are absolutely fascinating. Thank you for sharing, Mike.

[@cheesyllama]

Definitely shocked about them melting the coins down!

[@stephenlawson2546]

Well done. Ship wreck recovered loot is always wild. I am surprised when you said of one the silver was melted down. Most the coins are worth more selling to collectors.

[@aBradAbroad]

I'm sure a lot of the coins were sold to collectors and the rest smelted to preserve the rarity and value of the ones that were sold!

[@RobertCraft-re5sf]

Yeah, I've always thought it's cool to have an actual old gold coin or an old pirate ship gold bar. Should add to the value of the gold itself.

[@C77-C77]

British Gov. most likely insisted on it all being melted. Silver bullion is worth a hell of a lot less than tons of individual 1800's silver coins. Bullion is just over $23/oz today. One of those coins is worth much more than that on the open collectors market. Just yet another case of a gov. making a claim to found treasure and screwing the finder. They won't spend any money to go out and look and find for treasure they know exists in wrecks, but they will instantly make a claim once someone else does, then make sure the finder can't immediately increase the value of their cut by doing something like this. They melted away money.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

​@@RobertCraft-re5sf absolutely. Even low value items from wrecks like the "whiskey galore" wreck ( in the old film) have value and silver or gold coin that are verified and slabbed by say NGC have significant value.

[@bobbymartin7455]

The ship Nuestra Señora de Atocha will be interesting to you I think as it was filled with high society people and their valuable cargo, the ship went down with some of the coins recovered, used as jewelry molds a lot recently

[@iamrichrocker]

Hello Mike Brady..must be surreal for you to realize your dreams to share your passions..didn't think you would have so many subs/views..well much deserved we say..your research/editing are so evident..and make it such an enjoyable way to be able to share this history..thnks for the hard work and fantastic content..

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

I honestly can't believe how far this channel has come, but honestly it's all thanks to you guys, so thank you :)

[@kumber]

love u bud@@OceanlinerDesigns

[@deepseadirt1]

Then there's the SS GAIRSOPPA. Mike you may have heard of this more recent shipwreck find from 2011. In 1941 she was enroute from India-to-England and had joined a Convoy. Her fuel was running low so she broke off from the protection of the convoy and tried to dash for Galway Ireland. Elderly and slow she almost made it! but was torpedoed. Over 80 lives were lost along with $210 million (150 million pounds) of silver heading for GB. I remember this wreck being in the news almost 3 miles down like THE CITY OF CAIRO and 600 miles from Ireland. Fascinating story. Great video as always. Thanks Mike.

[@CassidyRudisell]

My father was part of the search with Mel Fisher for the Atocha! (Wasn’t covered in the video) I love hearing about him talk about his “gap year(s)” before college, he didn’t make much money back then but his experiences we rich. I’d love to hear about your thoughts and knowledge on the shipwreck.

[@Commander-McBragg]

Mike, you mad man! You are churning them out left and right. Pace yourself. Great work!

[@SchwererGustavThe800mm]

2:56 Nobody: The German Captain: ✌🗿

[@lisaborsella5412]

Thank you this morning for yet another fascinating piece.❤

[@judybassett9390]

Enjoyed this video and your channel. Became a member today.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Welcome aboard!

[@msz5543]

Mike, thanks for the wonderful videos. All of them.

[@DaystromDataConcepts]

Yet another excellently produced and researched video. Top quality stuff!

[@Williamslamaeiland]

nice video! as allways, keep it up mike!

[@marijorieholoway6783]

Nice video! Ty

[@captainAlex258]

this san jose should be on the news

[@Hammerschild]

I love this channel.

[@normende]

Mike, I look forward to tour informative and entertaining documentaries; you never disappoint!

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thank you! Glad you're liking the content!

[@IcelandicLinerDesigner]

The icelandic ocean liner E/S Goðafoss is also a great valued shipwreck as it had the presidents car aboard, silver and much more. Many have claimed to have found the wreck but it has really never been found and it is sad that the ship is also not so well known.

[@KerryFairbanks]

It must be awesome to be Icelandic

[@Vanessuhhhhh]

I love the amount of care and respect you give in pronunciation with names and words/phrases in other languages. This channel has definitely become my favorite channel after discovering it over 6 months ago.

[@NarschoolVlog]

Probably not the angle you thought someone would use this vid for.. but it’s actually some of the better digestible content for inspiration for my DND game.l thanks dude.. keep on it.. love to hear more about these shipwrecks and older ships too 🙏🙏

[@melissasmess2773]

Nice history, thanks!

[@wadp5962]

Excellent video, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've heard of and read about in articles and a book about the Central America. Not only photographs were found, but clothing and letters as well, which I find fascinating. My favorite wreck is the Vrouw Maria, a Dutch merchant ship travelling from the Netherlands to Russia. It was wrecked off Finland in October, 1771 carrying a painting by Dutch master Gerrit Dou, The Nursery, to Catherine The Great. The ship was located in 1999, but this painting and others on board have, so far, not been found.

[@TheLeathlobhair]

best. opener. ever. "GOLD."

[@brick6347]

Here's a modern treasure for you: Last year the Felicity Ace sank in the Atlantic, along with her cargo of Lamborghinis, Porsches, Audis, and Bentleys worth about $400m. Not sure how much they're worth after sitting at the bottom of the sea for a year... but if anyone fancies a Lamborghini you know where to look! (Thankfully all crew were rescued safely).

[@K1ddkanuck]

She also caught fire before capsizing, so between the inferno and falling onto her side, most of those cars were probably completely destroyed before she even slipped beneath the waves. Luckily, all 22 crew members survived the sinking.

[@PhenomRom]

@@K1ddkanucksounds like an insurance scam

[@jos3ph.d]

Great video good sir!

[@leoshiphistory]

I never knew about this thanks for sharing keep it up!

[@scottcrew5705]

Thanks Mike!

[@walterathow5988]

Great video Mike

[@DillonAuto]

I have no part of ships, the industry, a navy, nothing. Yet I love the content and how the host is always professional in speech, dress, and attituded.

[@SpirosKaravidas]

vid looks good!

[@Garde538]

Great bedtime storys👏

[@jetsons101]

This watch reminds me of the 1914 song: "Money Makes the World Go 'Round"

[@TheHylianBatman]

Wow, that's so interesting! I wonder what kind of shipwrecks are yet to come.

[@debbiejarus1723]

Another fantastic video, Mike! If/when you find any of that treasure, please share a video of it with us before sailing away! 😀

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Deal! 😂

[@ed-venture7963]

Great video mate.

[@warthunderwithkiwi4953]

Hi Mike, I feel like the story of the TEV Wahine Disaster could be a great topic for one of your videos.

[@mattwilliams3456]

If I was one of the investors of the group that found the San Jose I think I’d auction off the coordinates to the wreck.

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

Josh Gates is probably going to watch this and make an Expedition Unknown out of it!

[@tomislavmiletic_]

Wow. OK. You got me. After half of your videos watched I finally subscribed. All do I'm more of a mountain man than ocean goer. Well done...

[@edjopago1]

Great video Mike. Have you read 'The Treasure of the San José: Death at Sea in the War of the Spanish Succession' by Carla Rahn Phillips? While the book focuses mainly on the history and the back history and not so much the treasure, it is still a scholarly work.

[@MiniMC546]

I'm honestly surprised that they're raising the San Jose from the sea... This may very well be another attempt, much like how the Vasa was raised except the San Jose's condition is unknown.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Well if the San Jose blew up before it sank all they're likely to bring up are hull fragments. Interesting in their own right though, kind of like the fragments of the Mary Rose.

[@rebinred495]

I like the idea of modern warships guarding old shipwrecks filled with gold

[@harryvlogs7833]

I love treasure

[@penelopejoann]

This is fun 🤩 Thank you. Video request warning: How pirate ships were built and constructed from keel to crow’s nest ❤

[@jooei2810]

I am so enamored with your channel, keep doing what you do my friend!

[@ssmanalways3035]

Good video

[@bradfry5403]

Thanks Mike great video, I was hoping that the Laurentic might have got a mention maybe if you do another one like this, as far as the San Jose I believe that the country that sank it now own it no prizes for guessing where I'm from.🇬🇧

[@DylRicho]

Daguerreotype was insanely good for the time. The capture of a solar eclipse from 1851 still amazes me.

[@kylec.5462]

“Goodnight and sorry for sinking you” what a legend

[@Janjinjinr]

Hi Mikeee, I really like your videos hehe, it's really educating and entertaining at the same time, I hope you still can create these types of videos, stay safe always 🎉

[@darkstalkerfrostfire5020]

Alright Mike! maybe get a vacation! you'hve been simply producing too many videos, Chill! your making high quality videos your awesome.I grant you a holiday this winter happy holidays!

[@K1ddkanuck]

He's Australian, so technically for him it's "this summer holidays" rather than winter ;)

[@darkstalkerfrostfire5020]

Oh lol did not realize XD@@K1ddkanuck

[@Drew791]

11:09 ah yes, just suddenly suffers from short-term memory loss 😂😂😂

[@jesterr7133]

You should do a deep dive on the Central America. I read Tommy Thompson's book, and the entire saga is a very interesting story that would make a great video.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

The hunt goes on for these treasure wrecks, crates of gold in lakes and even locomotives that were supposedly buried after ww2 moving gold bullion. Its amazing so much still turns up, often found totally by accident or by detectorists searching British fields. The only gold ive found was by panning rivers in England and Scotland though. That i definitely found 😊

[@lizblock9593]

Ah yes. The ol' short term memory loss defense....

[@3LBane1974]

The way some of the people who discover these wrecks get treated, soon any that are found will be kept secret and the historic items will be melted down quietly and sold.

[@georgewaite2952]

The San Jose is in legal battles currently. It’s off the Coast Of Columbia. It sank in 1708. It’s at a depth of 2,000 feet. Humans can’t get to it. It’s loaded with coin and other. It’s a Spanish Ship. Identified by its cannons. 62 guns. 600 meters deep

[@spaz7875]

Any chance of a list on deepest known shipwrecks?

[@toni5431]

MetaBallStudios has a shipwreck depth comparison vid. Look for that :)

[@aheath7838]

I couldn’t get over the tiny corner of your collar that was sticking out of the sweater.

[@ragtard7419]

The story of the Las Cinco Chagas is making me wanna pull a Tintin

[@geogriapeach5211]

Thank you for for using both miles and kilometers. Etc.

[@joeb5316]

Europe: "20 BILLION?!? WE MUST GET IT!" U.S. Congress: "$20 billion? Meh, we spent that on croissants and lattes before we started work."

[@lakrids-pibe]

"Goodnight. Sorry for sinking you." Absurd!

[@DanO530.8]

I feel really bad for all that perished in a horrible way at sea hopefully they are watching over us right now guiding us in the right direction…after all they are our ancestors my great great grandparents are from Spain and my dads dad name Jose as in ship wreck San jose where I’m from

[@UncleJoeLITE]

I'm still hoping to find Spanish treasure in the channels surrounding Chevron Island. =) Thanks for the idea Capt Mike! As long as I can swim faster than the bullsharks, she'll be right imho.

[@RyanKlapperich]

Is no one going to comment on the Spanish language map of the US appearing @11:04 ? Ok I will. He used a Spanish language map of the United States, visible @11:04. Took me by surprise, because that's not how I typically spell "West Virginia," let alone the Carolinas and Dakotas. Great video, Mike!

[@kylesanders8276]

I was friends with Greg Stemm's son in elementary school. He would bring in treasures from his _Odyssey_ expeditions, and if I spent the night at their house there would be a bounty of coins and gold bars that he would exhibit and curate their history. Some insider baseball; rather than actual exploring much of the occupation involves paperwork, lawyers, and litigating with countries for claims and permissions.

[@nolandavis9040]

Wasn’t there a rumor that the Empress of Britain had gold on her when she sank?

[@AnonUPS]

Can you make a video on how they built the titanic please?? 🙌🙌

[@amd87ts]

Would have thought the SS Gairsoppa would have been here with its £150 million silver haul. Have you ever seen the documentary that came out for it?

[@NickFajardo]

Lol, watched wendover today and immediately thought "Hey, I just heard about some of this stuff!"

[@1994CPK]

please do a video on the opium wars and the Nemesis

[@fifthlomat717]

I think thw gold should be delivered to my house

[@Brickticks]

Hey, uh, quick question…. I remember seeing a ship on your channel that had its name written in lights on the side of the upper decks, near the rear funnels, and well, I can’t seem to remember which ship it was. Could somebody remind me which ship that was or what video it was in? Thanks! Also, great video, as usual.

[@Brickticks]

Nevermind, I found it, it was the normandie. Rockatoa, a very happy Brickticks out!

[@walterrudich2175]

Why don’t you decorate your Yucca for Christmas?

[@samuelleal6149]

COLOMBIA MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💪💪💪💪💪💯💯💯💯

[@jubi2621]

Hi Mike I have a quick question is Grand Voyage is free to play

[@jahanaraferdaus7362]

Can you make a KZbin channel about Locomotives and a gaming channel about Ships, Locomotives and Plains?

[@planescaped]

Sorry, I can't recall where I hid the 4 million dollars in gold I had. I'm such a scatterbrain lmao. I'm super srs gaiz. Also, the private group that found the San Jose wreck really should have kept the coordinates a secret until they had a deal hammered out. Although Columbia probably would have still just said nvm actually I'll keep it all.

[@titodevora9378]

El san jose es buque de estado y como tal se debe tratar.Debo recordar que aparte de los impuestos de la corona, iban 600 entre tripulantes y pasajeros con sus pertenencias.España tiene legitividad para reclamarlo.

[@LJB103]

These ships are what make me say that the idea that no one can touch the Titanic wreck since it is a grave is B.S. So are/were these ships. Does that mean that we are going to put back what has already been taken? FYI: Captain William Herndon of the S.S. Central America was the father-in-law of future US President Chester Alan Arthur.

[@tyleranderson9954]

I know the channel is about ocean ships but you should do a video on the Edmund Fitzgerald

[@BNuts]

In cases like these, I hope curiosity wins out over greed, even when I don't think it's likely. These ships are part of people's heritages, and in the case of plunder, I can only hope people do the right thing, however unlikely.

[@allentoyokawa9068]

"The treasure worth 20 billion that was then stolen"

[@thirstyCactus]

I wonder why large sums were not split across multiple trips. Was the risk of incident, at the time, low enough not to worry?

[@jeremiefaucher-goulet3365]

So basically, the only people who profits from shipwreck treasures are lawyers.

[@DeanStephen]

I would have thought the coins to have had more numismatic value as collectors items than as silver. Curious.

[@Richard-mt4zi]

Of course- but finding large quantities of a rare gold or silver coin(s) from the 1600-1750 timeline might lower it's numismatic value greatly.

[@DeanStephen]

@@Richard-mt4zi That’s exactly what happens every time the Federal Reserve dumps a bunch of newly printed money into the market. Curious how governments always do everything they can to protect the wealthy, but leave the poor to eat cat food.

[@Commander-McBragg]

We should have an Ocean Liner Designs expedition to find all this loot. Anyone have a submersible we can borrow?

[@K1ddkanuck]

I'd say ask OceanGate but uh... ya. Too soon?

[@user-yv4lb8kt7m]

The Atocha is also worth looking, besides the Atocha was made an appearance in a Game, Assassin's Creed 4. Albeit some changes made.

[@chanwittwer4925]

I have a better idea, when you find the sunken treasure, you'll take us all out to lunch right? In Australia too?😊

[@-sturmfalke-]

15:16 Wait a minute. Wasn't there an incident in recent times where a norwegian (?) civil cruise ship was shot at by a columbian (?) frigate (?) and the cruise ship actually sinking the frigate when it tried to ram the civilian cruiser out of the columbian waters? I remember hearing this story on youtube, but don't remember where. A quick search didn't yield results. Maybe you know what happened there?

[@MatthewChenault]

11:04 “You’re going to Ohio!” “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

[@mrkrik3y142]

No wreck should ever be raised

[@charlieb308]

Never tell anyone if you find treasure! Two computer geeks found civil war shipwreck with silver in 30 feet of water, they never saw a dime, I think it was tons of silver, nobody could find the wreck but they used computer skills to figure it out. Find the wreck, steal the silver then leave, never tell government. In England anything found on your own property even 1 gold ring is gov property. I wish I could remember the name of ship the geeks found.