Nuestra Señora de Atocha (Spanish: Our Lady of Atocha) was a Spanish treasure galleon and the most widely known vessel of a fleet of ships that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622. At the time of her sinking, Nuestra Señora de Atocha was heavily laden with copper, silver, gold, tobacco, gems, and indigo from Spanish ports at Cartagena and Porto Bello in New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama, respectively) and Havana, bound for Spain. The Nuestra Señora de Atocha was named for a holy shrine in Madrid, Spain. It was a heavily armed Spanish galleon that served as the almirante (rear guard) for the Spanish fleet. It would trail behind the other ships in the flota to prevent an attack from the rear.
For 16 years they combed the ocean floor. Finally, in July of 1985, they found the Atocha. The coins resting within the sunken ship were mostly gold and silver and were minted between 1598 and 1621. The find was so valuable that the state of Florida took legal action to claim what they believed was, in part, their property. The state demanded 25% of the find.
The legal battle lasted eight years before reaching the United States Supreme Court. There, judges ruled in favor of the treasure hunters. The total find was estimated to be worth $400-$450 million USD, consisting of approximately 40 tons of gold and silver and 70 lbs. of emeralds.
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