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<\/p>\nSomewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cornwall, lies a treasure worth a whopping \u00a31bn in a wrecked ship known as the "El Dorado of the seas".<\/p>\n
Despite many attempts by salvage companies, the exact location of the 700-ton ship remains a mystery. The Merchant Royal, built in London in 1627, was said to be carrying 500 bars of gold bullion, 400 ingots, half a million coins, and countless gems and pearls when it sank.<\/p>\n
And despite the efforts of the crew, the ship started leaking and couldn't be saved, leading to the loss of 18 men and a treasure that was worth one-third of England's public funds at the time.<\/p>\n
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The mystery of the Merchant Royal, a ship thought to be worth hundreds of millions, if not \u00a31bn, in today's prices, continues to intrigue.<\/p>\n
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In 2007, an American company, Odyssey Marine Exploration, found 600,000 silver coins, hundreds of gold coins and other artefacts on the sea floor in the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n
This treasure, rumoured to be part of the Merchant Royal's, was taken to the United States by Odyssey. <\/p>\n
However, after a long legal battle, they were ordered to return the coins to Spain, suggesting that the ship was actually a Spanish frigate.<\/p>\n
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Despite unsuccessful attempts to find the "El Dorado of the seas" on the Treasure Quest TV show, hope was renewed in March 2019. A huge anchor, estimated to date back to between 1600 and 1800, was discovered off the coast of Cornwall by the fishing vessel Spirited Lady.<\/p>\n
This discovery has narrowed down the search area for salvage companies looking for the Merchant Royal's treasure. Yet, the mystery of the Merchant Royal remains unsolved to this day.<\/p>\n
The German ship Adolf Vinnen tragically sank off The Lizard on its first journey 100 years ago.<\/p>\n
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