Researchers have discovered ancient, centuries-old coins that are thought to be linked to the US$17 billion "richest wreck in history," media reports stated on June 11. The coins were unearthed from the Spanish galleon ship San José, which was sunk by British warships in the early 1700s.
According to an analysis by UNESCO, over three million shipwrecks are resting on the Earth's ocean floors. Some shipwrecks were lost in the annals of time, while others are miraculously well-preserved, like the HMS Hawke that sank in 1914 and was recently discovered off the Aberdeenshire coast on August 12, 2024. Intact wreckages are like windows into history, providing valuable insights about life during the ship's heyday.
If you'd like to uncover some of the world's most well-preserved shipwrecks, click through now.