Jacksonville’s involvement with “The Ship of Gold” tells a story of respect, love, fear, betrayal, riches and more. Life magazine called it “the greatest treasure ever found” but did the treasure show the greatest or bring out the poverty in most all connected?   After researching the story and finding the boat in Northeast Florida, the real question is, which is the “Ship of Gold?:  The SS Central America?, The Arctic Discoverer?, or the man who hauled a great bit of the gold away and then disappeared?  I’d say, all three.

My grandsons are nine, four and four.  Knowing the ship was so near, it was a must-see, so we, their mother and me, did. Our nearby travels took us less than twenty minutes to see the Arctic Discoverer.  It’s basically, just down the road.  It’s an approximately 65 year old deserted boat along a dock in Green Cove Springs, Florida.  We all totally enjoyed the trip.  With Gary Kinder’s book in hand, we basically knew the story start to finish except for the details of what Thompson will now do.

Over 30 years ago, the 180 foot ship was called the A.T. Cameron. It was then sold and renamed the Arctic Ranger when an investor seeking to help Thompson’s exploration bought and repurposed it. He brought it to Jacksonville, and Green Cove Springs, had it painted light sky blue and white and for a “nominal” fee, rented it to Thompson for his exploration.  Thompson and his crew  took it to sea to find gold and lots of it.  Along with it, they took a, what many called a “miraculous” 12,000 pound underwater robot named Nemo that could be deployed remotely.  The trip was orchestrated by  a young Tommy Thompson,  an engineer who had a passion and drive to hunt down and find the sunken ship, SS Central America.

September 1857 the Central America ship carrying some 600 passengers was returning from the California Gold Rush when it sunk off of the coast of South Carolina due to a hurricane.   Over 20 tons of gold, other treasures and some 400 lives were lost.

In 1985, Tommy Thompson, with his company, Recovery Limited Partnership, set out with a group of 141 investors to discover and find the Central America . The plan was to recover the treasures lost.  He and his team used “Nemo”, the underwater vessel along with other recovery equipment to find and explore the bottom of the sea where it sunk. Using special computer equipment and savvy methods for capturing such , including robotics and far-advance oceanography tricks to the trade, the team not only found the Central America but was able to bring up a great amount of items from the wreckage including luggage, documents, the ship’s bell and millions of dollars of gold coins and gold bars. 

By 1989, the crew discover the shipwreck bringing great attention to this disaster. After this incredible find, over 35 insurance companies sued Thompson saying their policies gave them rights to the gold. Through years of litigation, and continual protection of the shipwreck site, Thompson and his company were rewarded  92 percent of the recovered gold  with the remainder to pay insurance companies.  Within two years, Thompson sold his companies’ portion of the gold to California Gold Group for $52 million

Investors cried foul and said that Thompson never returned their investment money thus there were further lawsuits against Thompson.  High profiled businessmen sued him including The Dispatch Printing Company, directors of the Columbus Exploration group and Donald Fanta, an investor along with nine technicians who helped with the discovery.

In March of 2012 Thompson filed for bankruptcy but the filing was dismissed. It was then that Tommy Thompson did not show up in the next court session which prompted an arrest order.  Thompson and his girlfriend Alison Anterkeier disappeared and for at least two years their whereabouts were unknown.  According to The Columbus Dispatch, the resident going by the name of Susan Owens was actually Alison, the manager of the motor lodge, Virginia said. She moved there after being a no-show for a court date. This information came out in federal papers in June of 2015.

It was in  January of 2015 also that, Thompson and Anterkeier were found in a Hilton hotel in Boca Raton. Those involved in the case said they had been paying cash for their living expenses.   They were arrested and jailed.  Thompson’s girlfriend, Alison spent a month in jail and then released. 

In 2018, Thompson said he did not know where the gold was.  That same year, the judge ruled that what artifacts were available could be sold and the $19.4 million in damages could go to the plaintiffs. 

Thompson has remained in jail since the arrest and being unwilling to tell where the gold is to this day.  He is being held in a federal detention center in Milan, Michigan according to news organizations . When searching his name under “inmate”,  there is no release date listed.

Did Thompson bury the gold in Boca? Green Cover or even Jacksonville?  If you read the court transcripts you might find out. Some say he’s given hints.  If you find the gold, it would be yet another “great treasure find” pertaining to the “Ship of Gold”. The Arctic Discoverer is at present docked just outside of Duval County city limits.  

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Scripture for the day: “Thou Shalt Not Steal”. Also

Exodus 20:16 — “Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor.”

There is probably more to this story that we don’t know.

Sources:  Columbus Dispatch, Ship of Gold, Gary Kinder, Coinworld, Odyssey Marine, Recovery Limited, Wikipedia, Personal visit.1/27/23