Colombian researchers have brought up the first artefacts from the legendary San Jose galleon - a shipwreck thought to be worth more than £15billion.
The Spanish vessel, dubbed the "holy grail of shipwrecks", rests 600 metres beneath the waves at an undisclosed location.
And now, treasures including a historic cannon, three gold coins and a porcelain cup have been retreived from the Caribbean seabed.
The recovery forms part of a Colombian Government expedition launched last year to investigate the wreck.
The San Jose met its fate in 1708 while transporting vast riches to Europe to finance Bourbon Spain's involvement in the War of the Spanish Succession.
British Admiral Charles Wager's naval squadron attacked the galleon near the Caribbean port of Cartagena, according to historical accounts.
The vessel carried an extraordinary cargo of 11 million gold and silver coins, precious emeralds and other colonial treasures bound for Spanish coffers.
British Admiral Charles Wager's naval squadron attacked the galleon near the Caribbean port of Cartagena (pictured)
|PUBLIC DOMAIN
Colombian authorities have proposed alternative explanations for the sinking, suggesting hull damage might have caused the disaster rather than the British attack.
The galleon remained lost for over 300 years until Colombian naval experts pinpointed its position in 2015.
Multiple parties now contest ownership of the valuable cargo in ongoing legal proceedings.
Sea Search Armada, an American salvage enterprise previously known as Glocca Morra, insists it discovered the site during the 1980s and is demanding $10billion (£7.9billion) in compensation.
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PICTURED: The San Jose galleon, resting on the Caribbean seafloor
|COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT
The company maintains it disclosed the coordinates to Colombian authorities with an agreement to share any recovered wealth.
Spain has also laid out its own claim through legal channels, asserting the treasure remains Spanish property.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stressed that the underwater operation prioritises science over treasure.
He was present when the recent treasures were brought up from the seabed.
Treasures including a historic cannon, three gold coins (pictured) and a porcelain cup have been retreived from the seabed
|GETTY
Colombia's Culture Ministry confirmed the cannon, coins and ceramic vessel will undergo preservation in a specially established laboratory.
Alhena Caicedo, who heads the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, explained that researchers will examine sediment specimens to "better understand the causes of the shipwreck".
The analysis aims to establish whether British naval bombardment or structural failure led to the galleon's destruction.
These scientific findings could prove crucial in resolving the centuries-old mystery of how the treasure-laden vessel met its end.