Dubbed the "holy grail" of shipwrecks, a Spanish galleon that sank in 1708 off the shore of Cartagena, Colombia has been at the centrepiece of several costly and lengthy legal battles.

Carrying an estimated $20 billion (£16bn) of gold, silver, emeralds, and other gems, ownership of the San Jose has been hotly contested for decades. And as the Colombian government finally begins to recover the sunken treasure, arguments around its ownership are becoming increasingly heated. 

Read on to find out what happened to the San Jose and discover who's in the frame to claim the staggering fortune onboard...

All dollar amounts in US dollars