Clump of Silver Coins
Filed with Spain's response to Odyssey's complaint are the copies of the export license that Odyssey filled out in Gibraltar. These copies were turned over to Spain by the UK.
See it here: http://casedocs.justia.com/florida/flmdce/8:2007cv00614/197978/37/1.pdf
A summary of the documents reveals that Odyssey shipped the following on April 10th, onboard a Gulfstream GV private jet:
203 Eight Escudo Gold Coins
10,090 Eight Reales Silver Coins
200 lbs Copper Ingot Bar
2 Tin Ingot Bars
3 Gold Boxes
1 Bronze Ingot Bar
1 Cannon Ball
1 Cannon Ball Fragment
1 Bronze Pulley Wheel
11 Wood Fragments
1 Clay Sample
The second flight aboard the Boeing 757 on May 16th simply says that there were:
551 plastic containers containing clumps of encrusted silver coins
1 white box, 2' x 3', containing clumps of encrusted silver coins.
4 copper ingots
total - 556 containers.
http://www.gibfocus.gi/details_headlines.php?id=1837
"The May license forms are believed to claim that Odyssey's cargo was discovered some180 nautical miles west of Gibraltar and consisted of "encrusted clumps of silver coins in a corroded condition."
The license obtained for a value of the 500,000 coins at $2.5-million, or $5 apiece. Far lower than the publicized amounts which has seen share prices increase.
Whilst the export licenses were not necessary, according to the Chief Minister himself who explained this summer to gibfocus that they were not required for products in transit the company was issued with two.
In one it described the treasure found as 10,800 silver and 203 gold coins. Local customs were informed that it has also brought to the surface three gold boxes; copper, tin and bronze ingots; a cannonball; and a bronze pulley wheel worth $1.49 million.
In its application for the second export license, Odyssey said it was transporting "557 plastic buckets containing clumps of encrusted silver coins" and four copper ingots worth an estimated $2.5 million."
NOTES:
The documents show that Odyssey shipped 557 buckets of items from Gibraltar. In an earlier Statement by Greg Stemm he mentioned that there were 552 "containers of silver coins". The export license also makes clear that the 552 containers were "plastic buckets containing clumps of encrusted silver coins".
The export license also shows an average bucket weight of 26.33Kg, which is 60.25 lbs. each. 552 buckets, each weighting approx. 60lbs would be close to the 17 tons of silver that they announced they recovered.
Spain, having followed the ship's movements during March and April of 2007 suggested that Odyssey did not have enough time to recover 500,000 coins in the time period that their ships were off in the Atlantic. These 60lb. clumps prove that it was at least possible to do the recovery in 17 days or less.
One last interesting fact about the clumps:
Each eight reale coin weighs 27.468 grams.
1000 of these coins would weigh 27.468Kg.
The average bucket weight was 26.33Kg or 60.25 lbs.
The coins might have been stored in bags of 1000 coins each.
Why they were found without signs of a shipwreck is yet to be determined.