Shipwreck Yields Most Silver Ever
The 61 tons of silver salvaged from a 1941 cargo ship are worth millions.
In February 1941, the S.S. Gairsoppa, a 412-foot steel-hulled British cargo ship with stockpiles of tea, iron, and silver, was weathering a storm when it was struck by a Nazi torpedo. The ship sank within 20 minutes; only one person survived.
At the time, the silver that ended up on the seafloor was insured at $1.3 million. Today it's worth about $75 million.
The silver was retrieved about two weeks ago by Odyssey Marine Exploration, which used a remotely operated vehicle to access the shipwreck. The vehicle descended about three miles and explored several rooms in the ship until it found the silver in two locations. (Related: "Deepest Shipwreck Explored Off U.S. Yields Treasures.")
Mark Gordon, president of Odyssey Marine
