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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Conder101, post: 1629105, member: 66&quot;]Depends on how far offshore they are.&nbsp; Within territorial waters they below to the state, but the state will usually enter into a contract deal with the salvager.&nbsp; In international waters different maritime law applies.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Actually they did get to keep most of it.&nbsp; The insurance companies that had insured the cargo back in 1857 tried to grab most of the treasure but the courts eventually awarded them I believe something like 10% of it.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;A better example might be Mel Fisher and the Atocha.&nbsp; Fisher had entered into a contract with the state of FL to give the state 25% and Fisher 75%.&nbsp; Then when he found the wreck in FL territorial waters the state tried to lay claim to the entire treasure.&nbsp; The court eventually found in Fishers favor and decided that he was entitled to 100% of the treasure, but he honored the original contract with the state.&nbsp; (Good move because he later executed other contracts with the state which would have been a lot more difficult if he had kept all the treasure.)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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