• Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008
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Rare gold chalice from 1622 shipwreck found off Florida Keys

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Rare chalice from a wrecked Spanish galleon

Gary Randolph / Florida Keys New Bureau

Rare chalice from a wrecked Spanish galleon | View larger image

A rare gold chalice from a Spanish fleet that sank in 1622 was unearthed Tuesday morning by a treasure diver who couldn't believe his find.

''Oh, my God,'' diver Michael DeMar said, describing his discovery of the chalice on the site where the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita is believed to have gone down during a vicious storm.

Dented on a few sides and encrusted with marine growth, the chalice weighs more than a pound is etched with scrollwork and boasts decorative handles.

The wreck was from a Spanish fleet that sank during a Sept. 6, 1622, hurricane. Over the past quarter century, it has yielded the biggest treasure find in U.S. history.

Read the complete story at miamiherald.com

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