A group of treasure hunters struck gold, literally, when they discovered a chest overflowing with gold coins weighing 1.6 tons on the Mediterranean seafloor. The amazing find occurred off the coast of Caesarea, Israel about 130 feet below the surface.
The trove of centuries-old coins adds up to a value of around $300 million. They were found encrusted in the seabed inside a chest that had broken open, scattering gold all around it. The coins originated from modern-day Spain, Egypt, Italy and other Mediterranean countries.
The Israel Antiquities Authority coordinated the complex recovery operation. Divers carefully Vacuumed up the coins spread over the seabed into special suction tubes. It took multiple dives over several months to collect the glittering horde intact.
Experts date the coins back to the era of the Fatimid caliphate, which reigned from the 10th to 12th centuries. They believe the gold was part of a merchant ship seeking shelter from a storm when it sunk just off the coast.
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Robert Kool, a member of the salvage team, said it was like “a dream” when they first glimpsed the treasure spilled out on the seabed. The chest contained nearly 2000 total gold coins of stunning quality. Archaeologists call it one of the biggest sunken treasure troves ever found off Israel’s coast.
The lucky band of underwater explorers who made the amazing discovery won’t get to keep the full cache. But their share of the proceeds from its sale to the government will keep them telling tales of the treasure hunt of a lifetime.
