The galleon San Jose been found: the greatest treasure of history

In short

What: the Spanish galleon San José, launched in 1698, with 64 guns and three masts.
When it sank: 8 June 1708 (28 May in the English calendar of the time), during a battle against the English fleet off Cartagena.
The discovery: announced by Colombia in December 2015, at a depth of about 600 metres.
The treasure: gold, silver and emeralds estimated at billions of dollars.
Today: in 2025 the first artefacts were recovered, including a cannon and three coins.

The San José galleon has been found

In the past few days the San José galleon, sunk by English cannon fire in 1708, has been found on the ocean floor.

To be precise, it was found on 27 November 2015 by the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History and an international team of researchers.

The battle off Cartagena in 1708 — The 1708 battle off Cartagena in which the San José sank, in a painting by Samuel Scott. Photo Samuel Scott, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The galleon was carrying precious stones, gold and silver for the Spanish Crown, for King Philip V, but it was sunk off the Colombian coast more than 300 years ago while trying to escape a fleet of English warships. It was the War of the Spanish Succession. About 600 people were on board.

The cargo is estimated to be worth 1.5 billion dollars, which now belongs to Colombia since the San José galleon is part of its national heritage.

The estimate only covers the valuables, not counting artefacts of enormous historical value such as 17th- and 18th-century swords and utensils.

At the press conference, held in Cartagena, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos did not reveal the location of the find, which is a state secret. We do know, however, that the area is around the Rosario Islands, the archipelago off the city of Cartagena.

Photos have been released showing bronze cannons, weapons and ceramic and porcelain vessels.

The wreck was found, at an undisclosed depth of more than 300 metres, thanks to anomalies picked up by sonar. This is only the beginning of a long period of study of the San José galleon and its treasure which, it is estimated, could be the largest ever found.

Update

Since then estimates of the treasure’s value have grown enormously: today the figure is around 20 billion dollars, so much so that the wreck has been nicknamed “the holy grail of shipwrecks”. We also know that it lies about 600 metres deep.

In 2022 a remotely operated underwater vehicle took new images of the wreck, showing gold ingots, coins and pottery. In May 2024 Colombia declared the wreck site a “protected archaeological area” and launched a recovery mission, presented as a scientific expedition rather than a treasure hunt. “This is an archaeological wreck, not a treasure,” said Culture Minister Juan David Correa.

In November 2025 the first artefacts were brought to the surface: a cannon, three coins and a porcelain cup. President Gustavo Petro went in person to see the cannon.

The treasure is disputed, though. Spain claims ownership of the ship, which was Spanish, and has proposed an agreement with Colombia to protect it jointly. And an American company, Sea Search Armada, claims it found the wreck as early as 1982 and is seeking 10 billion dollars in compensation: it is in international arbitration with Colombia.

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