Voice from the Commonwealth
Commentary, World Views and Occasional Rants from a small 'l' libertarian in Massachussetts

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your council nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams
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Tuesday, February 18, 2003

Columbus' bell?

Police have brought a sudden end to what was meant to be the sale of the century for fans of Christopher Columbus when they raided a Madrid auction to take possession of the ship's bell, which allegedly rang on the discovery of America.

Just minutes before the historic artefact, with a starting price of $A1.7 million, was due to go on sale at a hotel before a crowd of potential buyers and curious onlookers, Spanish police acting on a request from Portugal took the battered bell into custody on Monday.

A week after news broke of the discovery of the bell, which was said to have travelled on Columbus's flagship, Santa Maria, in 1492, the treasure hunter who had thought he was about to become a millionaire found himself facing a long court battle against Portuguese authorities.

Roberto Mazzara, an Italian diver, discovered the bell in 1994 lying on the seabed 100 metres off the Portuguese coast at Figuera da Foz, and the authorities in Lisbon have declared the find state property.

< email | 2/18/2003 11:32:00 AM | link




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