Shipwreck Treasure

Deep-sea explorers said Friday they have mined what could be the richest shipwreck treasure in history, bringing home 17 tons of colonial-era silver and gold coins from an undisclosed site in the Atlantic Ocean.

Total estimated value: 500 million.

A jet chartered by Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration landed in the United States recently with hundreds of plastic containers brimming with coins raised from the ocean floor. There are more than 500,000 pieces which is expected to fetch an average of $1,000 each from collectors and investors.

Due to security reasons, any details regarding the shipwreck site will come later, but court records indicate the coins might come from a 400-year-old ship found off England.