The great ocean is a place that hides many hidden treasures. Many of the treasures lie in ships that sank many, even hundreds of years ago. Therefore, shipwrecks under the sea not only attract explorers, but also hunters of the world.

In 1988, hunter Tommy Thompson and his friends found the Golden Ship – the famous American ship called SS Central America that sank under the sea 130 years ago.

During his travels, Thompson saved thousands of gold medals, coins, and valuables. Most of this precious metal was sold for about 50 million USD (more than 1.1 trillion VND).

However, this is only part of the great treasure in the SS Central America – the famous gold ship that sank in 1857.

20 tons of gold sank in the sea

SS Central America, an 85m long ship, operated in Central America and the east coast of the United States in the 1850s.

On September 3, 1857, 476 passengers and 102 sailors aboard the ship left the port of Colon in Panama for New York City.

However, on September 10, the ship encountered a terrible storm, was damaged and sank on September 12 off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA. About 426 people died, according to the Telegraph.

SS Central America sank on September 12 off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA

Telegraph says SS Central America was carrying about 20 tons of gold at the time. It is said to be the greatest underwater treasure in American history.

All the “gold and silver goods” hidden in the ship were estimated by The Richest newspaper to be worth between 100-150 million USD (2.3 – 3.4 trillion VND).

The sinking shocked the public and shook the economy. It contributed to the “Panic of 1857” economic crisis in America when New York’s money was waiting for the arrival of gold.

Search for treasure

All efforts to find large amounts of gold failed until 1988, when the Columbus-America Group (CAG) expedition, led by Tommy Thompson, found the wreck 2,400 meters below. the sea.

Because of the depth of the water, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was sent to search, according to the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). Although the ROV was not common technology at the time, it helped gather evidence to confirm that this was the SS Central America.

Tommy Thompson on board to find the treasure of the SS Central America

The CAG found three tons of gold bars and coins worth $50 million. In this treasure, there is a gold bar weighing up to 28 kilograms and hundreds of ancient coins. Most of the ancient coins are being sold for 10,000 USD (227 million VND) each, according to NUMA.

Thompson once described the moment he first saw the treasure in a letter: “None of us thought it would be this big. It is part of American heritage, the the history that was hidden under some kind of national treasure. And we found it.”

However, Thompson’s joy did not last. 39 insurance companies began suing Thompson, saying the gold was theirs to insure and should be, according to USA Today.

The reservation was suspended while the legal dispute was resolved.

CAG rescued three tons of gold bars and coins from the wreckage

According to NUMA, Thompson never shared the money from the sale of gold coins to the search group and investors. He said the money went to legal actions and bank loans.

The investors then sued Thompson. The suspect fled after a warrant was issued. At this time, the court assigned the search and exploitation of the resources to a new organization – Odyssey Marine Exploration.

In January 2015, Thompson was arrested on charges of defrauding investors. At that time, the 62-year-old man was found in a hotel in Florida.

As of June 2017, he was still being held in a US prison because he did not “reveal” where the gold was hidden, according to the AP.

Thompson took a picture with the gold he took from the SS Central America

Unlimited wealth

After taking control of the SS Central American mission, Odyssey recovered more than 15,500 gold and silver coins and 45 gold pieces. They also found gold jewelry and many 19th century artefacts such as glass cases, cigars…

The wreck is too deep for people to dive, but that will not stop rescue efforts. Odyssey is also using an 8-ton remote control vehicle called Zeus to survey the ocean floor.

“The SS Central America is one of the most important stories of all time,” Odysse CEO Greg Stemm told FoxNews.

There is a lot of gold still lying in the sea, waiting to be saved

A coin received from the SS Central America