A steamship that sank off the Louisiana coast during an 1846 storm has produced a trove of rare gold coins, including some produced at two largely forgotten U.S. Mints in the South, coin experts say.

Last year, four Louisiana residents salvaged hundreds of gold coins and thousands of silver coins from the wreckage of the SS New York in about 60 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico, said David Bowers, co-chairman of New York-based Stack’s Rare Coins.

“Some of these are in uncirculated or mint condition,” Bowers said, predicting the best could bring $50,000 to $100,000 apiece at auction.

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Numismatist Daniel Frank Sedwick featuring Treasure Auction #3 with over 1100 lots, including a rare astrolabe, gold cobs, silver coins, Chinese porcelains and other artifacts.

Winter Park, FL - Numismatist Daniel Frank Sedwick is releasing a Treasure Auction, among the items on the numismatic market today are gold cobs, particularly from the Spanish 1715 Fleet off the east coast of Florida, and this sale features dozens of them, all carefully selected for quality and eye-appeal.

There will be also some small gold ingots and nuggets from the Espadarte wreck of 1558 off Mozambique," commented Daniel Sedwick,

"We offered the first part of this unique collection of gold pieces in our Treasure Auction #1 a year ago, and they were well received. This time we are certain of the shipwreck name, which should boost their interest even further."

Another early important shipwreck find in this auction is the Michael Goldston collection of silver “tumbaga” ingots from a still-unidentified wreck of ca. 1528 off the Bahamas.

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The treasure-hunting company Odyssey Marine Exploration filed their first quarterly 2008 report with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to updates on their numerous shipwreck projects, the company reported a first quarter revenue of $.3 million with a net loss of $6.8 million. Those compare to 2007’s reports of $2.2 million and $3.8 million respectively.

Greg Stemm, Odyssey’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented,

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Nine-year-old Alexander Granhof and his grandfather Jens have made what is believed to be the largest ever find in southern Sweden of silver coins from the Middle Ages.

Alexander and his granddad were out exploring the site of the Battle of Lund (1676) when the boy happened on some silver coins coated in verdigris. The buried treasure had likely come to the surface when the field in which they were wandering was recently plowed.

A day later, archaeologists from the National Heritage Board arrived at the site with metal detectors and were quickly able to find two clay vessels containing more than 7,000 silver coins dating from around 1300 AD.

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The name of a 17th-century shipwreck bearing 17 tons of silver and gold coins discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration may finally be known. News accounts have reported the estimated value of the treasure trove at around $500 million. Whether true or not, the potential value drew immediate attention and a resulting legal battle between Odyssey and Spain.

Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo issued a ruling yesterday denying an Odyssey motion to protect the identity of the shipwreck.

Resulting court fillings revealed that the conclusive identity of the sunken ship Odyssey code-named the "Black Swan" could not yet be made, but they also suggest a possible linkage to Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes y las Animas, a Spanish vessel that sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 1804.

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For an archaeologist, the words "Viking", "Coins" and "Sweden" are likely to bring to mind Sweden’s island province of Gotland, a known Viking hub or trading center where several hundred silver coin hoards have been discovered over the years. (See map of Gotland).

In just a bit of an unusual twist, a treasure trove of Viking silver coins have been found on Sweden itself. The Local, a Sweden news site, reports 450 silver coins were uncovered by archaeologists from the Swedish National Heritage Board—an agency of the Swedish government responsible for preserving Sweden’s heritage and historic treasures.

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One of the three admiralty cases between Spain and Odyssey Marine Exploration has been dismissed in Florida Middle District Court. Instead of a judge ruling, Spain voluntary dismissed its claim in the case.

In an April 1, 2008 filed document, the stated reason for Spain’s dismissal was:

"… based on examination of evidence disclosed by plaintiff pursuant to Orders of the Court…"

In affect, Spain learned the shipwrecked vessel is not Spanish nor in their waters. Court documents indicate that the shipwreck is believed to be an Italian-registered passenger ship, which sank in 1915 during World War I. It is currently lying at a depth of 500 meters in international waters approximately 65 miles southeast of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea.

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U.S. Judge Mark Pizzo ruled Wednesday that the location of the shipwreck site where 17-tons of Colonial-era gold and silver coins were hauled up from the ocean floor must be kept a secret.

The legal dispute started back in May of 2007 when Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered a 17th-century shipwreck, they code-named the “Black Swan”. Spain filed legal claims contending the treasure is a part of their country’s cultural heritage and should be returned. Odyssey said the treasure was found in international waters and was legally retrieved.

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A federal judge moved a legal battle forward by ruling Thursday on several counts between Spain and Odyssey Marine Exploration, a deep-sea treasure-hunting firm based in Tampa, Florida. The legal counts revolved around sites and a shipwreck that yielded a potential $500 million in Colonial-era gold and silver coins.

Odyssey discovered a 17-ton bounty of treasure in the Atlantic Ocean last May and since, has found itself in a contested legal battle with Spain over its ownership.

Odyssey says the 17th-century shipwreck, they code-named the “Black Swan”, was found in international waters and the treasure was legally retrieved. Spain contends the treasure is a part of their country’s cultural heritage and should be returned.

In a written ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday covered six counts. Read the rest of this article »

A rare collection of medals valued in the millions but considered priceless national treasures were recovered after they were stolen from New Zealand’s Waiouru Army Museum on December 2, 2007.

96 medals that were awarded to 12 of New Zealand’s most decorated war heroes were stolen, including:

• Nine Victoria Crosses
• Two George Medals
• One Albert Medal

The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest military decoration awarded for valour to members of the armed forces of several Commonwealth countries and previous British territories.

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