Florida treasure hunters searching a 400-year-old shipwreck discovered a rare 22.5-pound silver bar worth up to $100,000

Divers with Mel Fisher's Shipwreck Expeditions recovered a 22.5-pound silver bar from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha shipwreck near Key West.

The silver bar is the first recovered from the Atocha site since 1999 and is estimated to be worth between $50,000 and $100,000.

The discovery was made by Captain Drake Nicholas and the crew aboard the salvage vessel DARE using a metal detector and airlift system.

The bar has an assay cut on its upper surface, a notch made by Spanish officials in the early 17th century to test silver purity.

The Atocha sank in 1622 during a hurricane off the Florida Keys, and its cargo included silver, gold, emeralds, and coins.