The most valuable shipwreck of all time is the San José galleon—an 18th century Spanish ship that carried 11 million gold coins, silver, and emeralds—and worth $20 billion in today's currency. It sunk in a battle with British ships during the War of Spanish Succession and remained completely lost for centuries. 
That is until a clue to its final resting place was found by the most unlikely  person: Roger Dooley, a Cuban-American underwater explorer who helped establish Cuba's national diving program and spent years scouring Caribbean waters for sunken shipwrecks at the behest of Fidel Castro. Dooley wasn’t looking for the San José. But an accidental discovery in the dusty stacks of a Spanish archive led him to the story of a lifetime, the tale of a great eighteenth-century treasure ship loaded with riches from the New World and destined for Spain

Though a diver at heart, Dooley was an unlikely candidate to find the San José. He had little in the way of serious credentials, yet his tenacity and single-minded devotion to finding and excavating the ship powered him across four decades, even as he became a man in exile from the country of his birth. As Dooley jousted with famous treasure hunters and well-funded competitors, he slowly homed in on a patch of sea that might contain a three-hundred-year-old shipwreck—or nothing at all.

Today’s guest is Julian Sancton, author of “Neptune’s Fortune: The Billion Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire.” We look at the story of a legendary Spanish galleon that sunk off the coast of, one man’s obsessive quest to find it, and the ongoing fight over excavating this historic shipwreck.

The most valuable shipwreck of all time is the San Jos&eacute; galleon&mdash;an 18th century Spanish ship that carried 11 million gold coins, silver, and emeralds&mdash;and worth $20 billion in today's currency. It sunk in a battle with British ships during the War of Spanish Succession and remained completely lost for centuries.&nbsp; That is until a clue to its final resting place was found by the most unlikely &nbsp;person: Roger Dooley, a Cuban-American underwater explorer who helped establish Cuba's national diving program and spent years scouring Caribbean waters for sunken shipwrecks at the behest of Fidel Castro. Dooley wasn&rsquo;t looking for the San Jos&eacute;. But an accidental discovery in the dusty stacks of a Spanish archive led him to the story of a lifetime, the tale of a great eighteenth-century treasure ship loaded with riches from the New World and destined for Spain
Though a diver at heart, Dooley was an unlikely candidate to find the San Jos&eacute;. He had little in the way of serious credentials, yet his tenacity and single-minded devotion to finding and excavating the ship powered him across four decades, even as he became a man in exile from the country of his birth. As Dooley jousted with famous treasure hunters and well-funded competitors, he slowly homed in on a patch of sea that might contain a three-hundred-year-old shipwreck&mdash;or nothing at all.
Today&rsquo;s guest is Julian Sancton, author of &ldquo;Neptune&rsquo;s Fortune: The Billion Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire.&rdquo; We look at the story of a legendary Spanish galleon that sunk off the coast of, one man&rsquo;s obsessive quest to find it, and the ongoing fight over excavating this historic shipwreck.

For history lovers who listen to podcasts, History Unplugged is the most comprehensive show of its kind. It's the only show that dedicates episodes to both interviewing experts and answering questions from its audience. First, it features a call-in show where you can ask our resident historian (Scott Rank, PhD) absolutely anything (What was it like to be a Turkish sultan with four wives and twelve concubines? If you were sent back in time, how would you kill Hitler?). Second, it features long-form interviews with best-selling authors who have written about everything. Topics include gruff World War II generals who flew with airmen on bombing raids, a war horse who gained the rank of sergeant, and presidents who gave their best speeches while drunk.

A show about American history, world history, World Wars 1 & 2, the Civil War, and much more.

History Unplugged Podcast

For history lovers who listen to podcasts, History Unplugged is the most comprehensive show of its kind. It's the only show that dedicates episodes to both interviewing experts and answering questions from its audience. First, it features a call-in show where you can ask our resident historian (Scott Rank, PhD) absolutely anything (What was it like to be a Turkish sultan with four wives and twelve concubines? If you were sent back in time, how would you kill Hitler?). Second, it features long-form interviews with best-selling authors who have written about everything. Topics include gruff World War II generals who flew with airmen on bombing raids, a war horse who gained the rank of sergeant, and presidents who gave their best speeches while drunk.