from Herald Tribune
Experts have started to examine a gold chalice that shipwreck salvagers recovered while searching for the wreckage of a Spanish galleon off the Florida Keys.
The ornate two-handled chalice stands on a gold base and is adorned with etched scrollwork on the upper portion. Blue Water Ventures diver Michael DeMar found the object beneath about a foot of sand in 18 feet of water approximately 30 miles west of Key West. DeMar said he first thought the chalice was just a beer can.
The late Key West treasure hunter Mel Fisher began the search for artifacts from the Santa Margarita, which sank in 1622, more than a quarter-century ago.
