Under the order, issued by a federal judge in Tampa, Florida, Odyssey has until the end of January to inform the Spanish Government of the site from which it raised a reported half million coins, weighing some 17 tonnes - possibly the world's largest-ever haul.
Odyssey landed the treasure in Gibraltar last May, and flew it from there to its Florida base. Spain, suspecting the wreck might lie in its territorial waters, maintained it could have rights to the haul, or a good proportion of it.
Filing a claim in Tampa, Spain maintained that Odyssey must prove its statement that the wreck lies in 'international waters in the Atlantic Ocean'. Now, the US court has backed that assertion.
The Spanish would still lay claim to finds if the wreck, even if in international waters, turns out to be that of a Spanish ship. Under the court order, Odyssey needs to provide both a wreck position and descriptions of the recovered coins, which will help experts to define their origin and, most probably, the identity of the vessel which was carrying them.
Odyssey and the Spanish played a game of cat and mouse through the remainder of 2007, as two Odyssey vessels lay in British-administered Gibraltar harbour. Twice, in July and October, they were seized after leaving port and entering Spanish waters, on the order of a Spanish judge seeking information into the source of the treasure.
The ships were prevented from going about their business and forced to return to port. But nothing conclusive was found, Spain having to wait until now for the court order forcing Odyssey's hand.
The information is to remain confidential between the parties. More treasure is thought to lie in the wreck, and neither Odyssey nor Spain would want interlopers moving in.
Public knowledge will have to wait until coins start going on sale, at which point the identity of their carrier is likely to be established - but by then all recoverable treasure will be up. |
