Sunken treasure returns to Spain

The treasure from the Spanish frigate Nuestra Senora de la Mercedes finally reached Spain on Saturday, 207 years after its intended arrival. The treasure, which consists of 595,000 gold and silver coins, weighing 17 tons, is thought to be the most valuable haul ever discovered. It was lost when the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes sank in 1804 off the coast of Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars. The haul arrived in two Spanish air force Hercules transport planes at the military airbase of Torrejon, just outside of Madrid. The Hercules had flown the treasure from Florida, where it had been during the five-year legal battle the Spanish government had maintained against the exploration company Odyssey, which had discovered and brought the treasure up from the sea bed in 2007. The case was finally resolved in Spain's favor on January 31 this year and the U.S. government had backed Spain throughout the five-year wrangle. The treasure returned amid huge media interest and an important security operation involving Spain's Civil Guard and it will now remain under the disposition of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.