Sometime in the late 1600s, pirate William Kidd was sailing his ship, the Adventure Galley, off the island of Sainte Marie, which lies east of what is now Madagascar. The Adventure Galley sank in shallow waters, under unknown circumstances. Legend has it that the ship was full of treasure. But it was just a legend — until now.
Recently, explorer Barry Clifford found a large silver bar in the shallow waters off the coast of Sainte Marie. Though not confirmed, the bar is thought to be from the Adventure Galley’s wreckage. Clifford’s team believes the 110-pound bar, stamped with the letters “S” and “T,” originated in 17th-Century Bolivia. And Clifford has reason to believe there’s more treasure where it came from.
The Adventure Galley is thought to have sunk in 1698. The ship’s underwater location was determined years ago. But this is the first treasure to have been allegedly recovered from the wreckage. More testing is needed to date the treasure and confirm that it is indeed linked to Captain Kidd.
“Captain’s Kidd’s treasure is the stuff of legends. People have been looking for it for 300 years. To literally have it hit me on the head — I thought what the heck just happened to me. I really didn’t expect this,” Clifford said. “There’s more down there. I know the whole bottom of the cavity where I found the silver bar is filled with metal. It’s too murky down there to see what metal, but my metal detector tells me there is metal on all sides.”
Captain William Kidd was hired by the British government to help fight pirates. Somehow, he was wooed to the other side. Kidd went on to become one of the most famous and feared pirates in history. Eventually, the infamous pirate was captured, and tried for the murder of one of his own crewmen. In 1701, not long after the Adventure Galley sunk, Kidd was executed.
Legends of Kidd’s treasure have been circling the globe for centuries, but this is the first time anyone has ever claimed to find any. Further investigations will reveal whether or not this silver bar is in fact, the long lost pirate’s treasure.
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Liberty Coin & Currency specializes in rare coins and currency. We are a family-owned business located in Portland and Vancouver. We are also gold, silver, diamond, currency and jewelry buyers. Visit us first for a free evaluation.
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