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Tons of Chinese Coins Found in Sunken World War II Japanese Ship

According to a report in the June 8, 2011 edition of the Korea Joongang Daily, a Korean underwater excavation company has recovered 3.3 tons of foreign coins from a Japanese freighter that was sunk by an American warplane off the west coast of Korea during World War II.

Chinese coins recovered from sunken WWII Japanese freighter

Chinese coins recovered from sunken WWII Japanese freighter

The coins number about one million with most being Chinese coins made of silver and minted during the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Pyun Do-young, the owner of the Sea Love, Ltd. underwater excavation company, said that his divers found the old coins in rotting wooden boxes on the deck of what is believed to be the WWII Japanese freighter Nishima Maru No. 10.

While the coins are estimated to be worth about $4.6 million, the company is most interested in finding the 10 tons of gold bars the ship is believed to have been carrying.

Mr. Pyun said that near the end of the war some high-ranking Japanese government officials secretly shipped back to Japan stolen gold, cultural assets, jewelry and minerals from China and Southeast Asian countries.

The gold would be part of the so-called “Yamashita’s Treasure” which refers to war loot stolen by the Japanese forces under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita.

The gold would be worth about $480 million at today’s prices.

To find the gold bars, however, the divers must first remove the thick layers of mud covering the ship.

The coins are presently stored at the government’s Gunsan Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Office to allow a possible owner of the ship to claim possession.  If no claim is made, the company will receive 80% of the coins with the remaining 20% going to the Korean government.

{ 3 comments… add one }
  • Charles Anderson August 10, 2014, 7:35 am

    Have any other World War II Japanese Treasure Ships been found off Korea?

    • Gary Ashkenazy August 11, 2014, 10:27 pm

      I have not seen any other reports regarding World War II Japanese treasure ships found off the coast of Korea.

      • Charles Anderson March 28, 2017, 4:18 pm

        Gary,
        You sent me the above reply in August 2014. Do you have any newer information on the subject? I have permission to search for Japanese Treasure on US installations that were former Japanese installations prior to 1945. I have very accurate information on Japanese MARUs carrying valuables that were sunk around Pusan, Mokpo and Cheju do after the surrender in 1945.

        Sincerely,
        Charles Anderson
        Int’l Treasure Finders & Salvors
        [email protected]

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