[njsteve]

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if you ran across one of the ones that was supposidly stolen, how could you register it (when found)? could someone from way way back have claim to it and tie it up in court?

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That is a serious possibility. The higher the value...the higher the likelihood of old ownership issues popping up.

Just think what happens whenever a sunken treasure ship is found. Even though maritime law is an obscure area of practice, the original insurance company or whomever has bought their rights over the past 400 years always ends up being a part of the "payout" that inevitably occurs.