LONDON ABANDONS PLAN TO RECOVER € 6.4 BILLION WORTH OF TREASURE FROM THE SEABED

LONDON, AUGUST 11 /SRNA – RIA Novosti/ - Britain has abandoned plans to recover gold worth an estimated £5.5 billion /€6.4 billion/ from the seabed near Gibraltar, fearing that the operation could escalate tensions with Spain, which disputes British sovereignty over the territory, The Telegraph reported.

A ship that sank near the Strait of Gibraltar in 1694 could contain up to 10 tonnes of gold coins intended to finance the military campaign of Victor Amadeus, Duke of Savoy, against French King Louis XIV during the Nine Years’ War, according to the report.

If the treasure is found, its present-day value could reach £5.5 billion, which would make the British warship HMS Sussex one of the most valuable shipwrecks ever discovered.