Im jamie colby, and today im cruising through boone county, iowa, smack dab in the middle of corn country. Im here to meet the heirs of a man who left behind dozens and dozens of orphans. Orphan cars, that is. So, whats an orphan car . Youre about to find out. My name is jerry quam. My father, grant quam, liked to collect orphan cars, which are cars that were manufactured by companies that are no longer in existence today. Many of these are rare cars of which theres only a few known to exist. I meet up with jerry and his brother john at this modern, climatecontrolled barn. Whats in the barn . You got tractors, you got horses . Something better. Better than that . Youre gonna love this. Whoa. I am in heaven. Did you know i love cars . Ive heard a rumor. This is an incredible collection. You inherited this . Our fathers collection. I imagine theres a great story behind these cars. Each and every one. These car stories begin right up the road in roland, iowa, where john and jerrys father, grant quam, grew up in the 1920s. Why was your dad so passionate about cars . He grew up on a farm and they were pretty poor, but hed see people coming into town driving around in these fine cars, and that got him excited about it. While grant may not be able to afford these fancy cars, he sure can fix em up. He had a real knack for fixing things. He was just fascinated with machinery and cars. Soon enough, the budding mechanic is running a little repair operation out of the farm corncrib. And when hes a teen, grant finally figures out a way to buy his first car using his school lunch money. So cars were more important than food. Thats probably true. When the Great Depression hits, it devastates farm country and grants family. His father they lost the farm and stuff. You know, when he left home, everything he owned was in a shoebox. At the same time, hundreds of Car Manufacturers are losing it all, too. In the early 1900s, nearly 1,800 companies are in the carmaking game. And as late as 1925, some 237 remain. But the depression wipes out a great many of those, with some Luxury Brands hanging on only to collapse after world war ii. Cars like the piercearrow, peerless, and packard, you dont hear of any of those today. Theyre all gone. So an orphan car is a car with no parents. Yeah, thats basically right. So when grant reaches his mid50s and starts seeing some realestate investments pay off, hes finally able to track down those orphan cars that fascinated him in his youth. Theres not a lot of fords or chevys. He liked to buy unique cars. He always used to say, i dont want to meet myself on the road. Grants not likely to meet himself on the road driving one of these. Not only are his cars from unique manufacturers, many of the particular models are extremely rare, too like this 1936 piercearrow roadster. Theres maybe fewer than five that are known to exist of that car. Im totally loving the paint. Is it also unique . The guy he bought it from liked butternut coffee, so he painted the car to look like the butternut coffee can. Grants 1925 kissel gold bug, made popular by amelia earhart, is just as rare. Can i get inside . Absolutely. Im gonna try to slide in. [ grunts ] wow. You had to be petite. Not so graceful. I could drive this. Now you guys know what i like, okay . Some of grants finds are so uncommon, they were thought to have vanished long ago. This is a 1934 plymouth phaeton. When he first bought this, a lot of plymouth people here in the u. S. Claimed that the car didnt exist. What . And they said that it was false advertising on the car. But finally, after some background checks, it turned out to be the real deal. And heres another rare phaeton, this one supposedly built at the 1934 worlds fair in chicago. Grants orphan cars even become the focus of segment on a local public tv program in 1999. Did you see the pbs clip when it aired . I did. It was a show that they were doing at the time in iowa that was about people had unique collections. In 2007, grant passes away at the age of 91. Was he specific with you, jerry, and your family about what he wanted you to do with the cars . He never really approached it when we were alive. He never really talked about that. Do you wish he was more specific . Yeah, in some ways it would have been better. Six years later, when their mom, betty, dies, grants four children now orphans themselves still havent settled on a plan for their strange inheritance. So that is a point of contention. Do you donate cars here . Do you have an auction . Every family has their differences. Some want to do this, some want to do that. The oldest sibling, john, wants to keep the collection intact. The youngest, jerry, whos gone into collecting, leans that way, too. But the other two siblings, jim and marilyn, dont have the same emotional connection to the cars and would just as soon sell them. Were all pretty independent people. Thats hard. Absolutely, its hard. And it wont be getting any easier because while grant had plenty of beauties like these, he left behind even more like this. I thought, oh, my gosh, what have i gotten myself into this time . This was like entering a crime scene almost. A crime scene . well walk it, next. But first. The answer when we return. Fact is, every Insurance Company hopes you drive safely. But allstate actually helps you drive safely. With drivewise. It lets you know when you go too fast. And brake too hard. With feedback to help you drive safer. Giving you the power to actually lower your cost. Unfortunately, it cant do anything about that. Now that you know the truth. Are you in good hands . music and splat sound music oops music music birds chirping uhoh. music music and patter of little shoes music and glass breaking sorry. music swells. music and loud glass breaking get on top of it before they do. About every 30 minutes tipped furniture or a falling tv sends an injured child to the emergency room. Preventing tipover incidents is easy, inexpensive and only takes about 5 minutes. Learn how to secure your furniture and tvs to protect children at anchorit. Gov. There never was an airmobile. Owegos were produced in owego, new york, american chocolates in a chocolate factory, and a car without a name thought owners might prefer to title their models themselves. Grant quams passion was tracking down orphans rare and unusual cars from nowdefunct automakers. Can you rattle off for me some of the rarer cars in the collection . 1925 kissel gold bug. 1911 and a 1913 overland. 1913 studebaker. Piercearrows, grahams. He gathers over 80 unique models, such as this 1920 peerless roadster. It was one of the most original cars hes ever bought. It still has the original radiator hoses. Theyre white because that was the natural color of rubber, and they started to color rubber black later on. After grants death in 2007, his heirs are torn about what to do with their fathers unique car pool. Do they sell . Keep . Donate . You know, i find, with inheritances, its really tough to get every sibling on the same page. Yeah, id say were no different. But before any decisions can be made, the family needs to know what the cars are worth. For that, they bring in appraiser jim mcdonald from des moines. He learns grants hoard of automobiles is spread out among three locations, and not every car looks shiny and new. This machine shed is jampacked with grants junkers, barn finds, and project cars. When i first walked into it, i thought, oh, my gosh, what have i gotten myself into this time . This was like entering a crime scene almost. A lot of these cars had been sitting for 10, 15, 20 years. This looks like it was last driven in 1956. These cars are worth a little, maybe a thousand more if they get fixed up. A second building holds about 15 midtierquality cars. Jim puts these in the fivefigure range. But the real money is in the final storage area, what grant called his inner sanctum. This had his piercearrow, it had his auburn, it had his kissel. It had all the better cars. Jim photographs and grades each one, including this exceptionally rare model, a 1922 Detroit Electric. Electric cars were very much favored by women in the early days of cars. They were popular because women werent able to crank the cars and get them started. Im in this is the steering wheel. Really . Well, kind of. This is like a tiller on a boat. Okay. So if you want to go this direction, you push that way, if you want to go that direction, you pull back here. Okay, i got it. Then, this is your speed. Here is the brake that works sometimes. Sometimes, john . Ready to go . Yes. Lets do it. The engine turns on with a simple flip of the switch. The first click, and there you go. Oh yikes. There you go. Oh, slow it down, slow it down, slow it down. Pull this back. Im an excellent driver. Im an excellent driver. This is like drivers ed. Do you have your foot on the brake, teacher . Just in case . I havent jumped out yet. Going straight is one thing, but now the real challenge turning the turns are not so easy. No. Youd do well back in that time period. Youd be the, uh, envy of the neighborhood. Whoohoo howd i do . Excellent. Yay better than me. Sold. Including that Detroit Electric, the appraiser arrives at a total value for the collection of over one million dollars. A nice chunk of change, but even that doesnt shift grants heirs out of neutral. The siblings need something more to finally settle the dispute on how to handle their fathers cars. Thats when they receive a message, almost from beyond the grave. Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. Chuggachugga, charles my man hilda, i like the new do. Got some layers in there, huh . The more, the merrier. Got to have this stuff in the morning. Oh, thats too hot. Act your age. Get your own Insurance Company. Carlo, why dont you start us with a little bit of cereal . You can spread it all around the table. And were gonna split the warm hot dog. And ill have a glass of grape juice to spill on the carpet. Oh, uh, do you want some to spill . Act your age. Get your own Insurance Company. What might seem like a small cough can be a big bad problem for your grandchildren. Babies too young to be vaccinated against whooping cough are the most at risk for severe illness. Help prevent this talk to your doctor or pharmacist today about getting vaccinated against whooping cough. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist today dont miss your gto experience our most advanced Safety Technology on a full line of vehicles. Now, at the lexus golden opportunity sales event. Lease the 2019 es 350 for 379 a month, for 36 months, and well make your first months payment. Experience amazing. But some give their clients cookie cutter portfolios. Fisher investments tailors portfolios to your goals and needs. Some only call when they have something to sell. Fisher calls regularly so you stay informed. And while some advisors are happy to earn commissions whether you do well or not. Fisher investments fees are structured so we do better when you do better. Maybe thats why most of our clients come from other money managers. Fisher investments. Clearly better money management. He committed the first speeding infraction in the u. S. , winding up in jail for driving a breakneck 12 Miles Per Hour down lexington avenue, four over the limit. Grant quams four children cant agree on what to do with their strange inheritance 80 socalled orphan cars potentially worth over a million dollars. Jim and marilyn think its time to sell, but jerry and john would like to see the collection kept together. Ive had a chance to experience most every car here. Spent a lot of time in these. Ive driven most of them through the years. Its two against two. Somethings got to give. How do they decide . They go to the videotape. Remember that localtv piece featuring grant all those years ago . Turns out a crucial part of grants interview was never broadcast. It was like a 15minute segment, but later they offered up the entire raw footage of the shoot. They pop the cuttingroomfloor footage in the vcr. During the unedited, hourlong interview, grant is asked about many topics that never reach air, including the future of his cherished autos. Listen. [ laughs ] their fathers words end the debate the siblings will auction off the cars. Now, for me personally, um, that was probably a harder pill to swallow. Did you fight it . No. Theres a time when things, whether you like it or not, need to happen. My ideal thing would have been not to have sold the cars, but that that wasnt gonna work. Soon after, the family hires auctioneer Yvette Vanderbrink to handle the sale of their dads collection. My First Impression was, wow, this is really a lot of automotive history. Yvette immediately puts the family to work. She wants as many of the vehicles as possible up and running by the auction. So here we are at the farm. This gives you an idea of what were up against. How much work went into getting them ready for auction . Its overwhelming to deal with. You got to get the mechanics up working on em, you got to get the detail people to come up. Its a long process. Despite the challenge, the family brings many back to life. And as the auction nears, the reality of saying goodbye to dads cars begins to sink in. This is a piece of dad. Its very personal to your father. Yeah. But he always used to say theres time slots in life, right, for different things. And, uh, anyway, this time slot is over, right, so its time to sell em and and move on. Of course theres no telling what grants unusually rare models might sell for. How do you set a price on some of these . That is the hard part. How do you find a comp for a 36 pierce when theres never been one sold and theres only five made . What do you expect . Its really, really hard to know, because as my dad used to say, an auction, you need two buyers that want the car, three is better. Up next which of grants orphans find a good home. At 40, 40, 40. Now 5. And which ones do not. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website strangeinheritance. Com. Brad, ive got an idea for a song. Nationwide has this app. You can pay your bills, even start an auto claim. So what i was thinking. Let me guess. Start a claim right from your app. Have you been looking in my notes . When crabe stronger. Strong, with new nicorette coated ice mint. Layered with flavor. Its the first and only coated nicotine lozenge. For an amazing taste. That outlasts your craving. New nicorette ice mint. I want my kids to have better oppurtunities than i had. I wish we had classes like the schools across town. I want to hold our elected officials accountable. School boards transform communities. Speak up at yours and make your voice heard. Text school to 225568 to find out how you can get involved. Now back to strange inheritance. In september 2015, the heirs of grant quam are auctioning off their fathers treasured fleet of orphan cars. You think youre doing this auction to his satisfaction . Well, thats a good, good question. We always tease that, uh, when we go by his gravesite, hes probably on high spin mode. The biggest concern whether the right buyers will make the trek to smalltown iowa for these exceedingly rare models. Its been a long adventure, nine months of getting ready. So were kind of anxious to see how this all goes today. At 37, now 8. At 38, at 8, at 8. Auctioneer Yvette Vanderbrink kicks things off with the heavy hitters. Were gonna start with the better cars and sell them right off the bat, and the reason why i like to do that is, everybody has money and comes to the sale. Everybody wants to take the prom queen. But some of those prom queens arent going anywhere without the right bid. This is a 1936 piercearrow. This also is being sold subject to confirmation. This will be the car that tells the tale on the auction. There were some serious players here yesterday looking at it, so well see what happens. At 35, at 5, at 5. At 35. Where are you gonna find one . Its one of five, guys. But today, that right buyer doesnt show up. Okay, folks, that has not met the reserve. If you are interested, come talk to us. Grants 1925 kissel gold bug also fails to hit the minimum bid. You have to have the right people here, and you never know. We dont want to give the cars away. After that distressing start, they learn they wont have to. The auction picks up speed with the 34 phaeton, said to have been built at the chicago worlds fair. At 45,000. At 45, 5, 5. At 40,000, lets go. You have to step up your game there. At 51, 1, 1, at 1. At 51,000. Its just money. Cant take it with you. Sold at 53,000. [ applause ] soon after, someone steers away with that Detroit Electric i drove for 48 grand. [ calling ] and the auction just keeps rolling. Grants 34 plymouth goes for 45k. His 37 lasalle brings in another 48. A 36 graham fetches 28k, while this 1913 studebaker sells for 25,000. So far its looking looking okay now up for bid grants 1920 peerless roadster. 60, 60, 60, at 60. At 60,000. Now 5. At 65, 5, 5. At 65. Now 90. At 90, 90, 90. At 90, at 90,000. Now 5. At 95, 5, 5. At 95,000. 1, 1, at 1. At 101. 101,5. Sold at 101,000. That was surprising because it takes a very special buyer to buy that car. By the end of the day, the family hauls in over 700,000 bucks. And with those two bigvalue cars still left to sell privately in the future, the family believes theyll break the milliondollar mark. Its a bittersweet thing. I mean, as i started seeing cars going out of here, its kind of reality. But it feels good to see people that love them, and theyll take care of them. And isnt that what adopting an orphan is all about . Jerrys sure hes done right by his dad, getting his babies into good hands. His time slot is over. Its time for another custodian to take ownership and enjoy the car, because sitting inside in a dark Building Made no sense. They should be out and enjoyed. So were happy to see that, and he would have too. Before the auction, jerry quam purchased a few cars from his fathers collection. He didnt pick the ones that were the most valuable or rare. In fact, the cars didnt even mesh with his personal car collection. The vehicles simply reminded jerry most of his father. So even after his children have to bid farewell to their dads precious cars, a part of grants legacy will live on and stay in the family. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance. Thanks so much for watching. And remember. Its just money. Cant take it with you. After years of scouring the ocean floor, a Treasure Hunter with a simple motto. Today is the day. Today is the day. Today is the day. Hits the mother lode. A shipwreck, which had 40 tons of gold and silver and copper on board. When his heirs cash in, collectors grab a piece of the action. A gold chalice. 100,000 to open the bid. But this Treasure Hunt is far from over. Is it true that theres a 40pound bag of emeralds down there . Its 70 pounds of emeralds. Could you look harder . Im jamie colby, and, today, im driving into key west, florida, in search of treasure. You know, years ago, spanish galleons and pirate ships sailed upon and sank in these waters. More recently, the islands been home to the heirs of a man who became rich and famous searching for the treasure left behind. My name is taffi fisher abt, and i inherited a wreck. I mean literally a wreck, a spanish shipwreck. Its an incredible archeological find, and we keep bringing up more treasure all the time. You must be taffi. Welcome to the mel fisher Maritime Heritage society. Taffis father, mel fisher, salvaged tons of treasure from the sea. Oh, yeah. Solid gold. This is an emerald cross and ring that was found in 1982. Some of his most precious artifacts are in the museum he founded here in key west. He must have loved the adventure. He did. He was an awful lot like tom sawyer. Tom sawyer had the mississippi. Indiana native mel fisher dreams up his childhood adventures on lake michigan. He would go to the lake, and he made a dive helmet out of a bucket. How did that work out . He said that it didnt work at all. In world war ii, mel joins the army corps of engineers. Over in europe, one of his jobs was building latrines. But after the war, this hoosier is fated for a higher or maybe lower calling. Hed met some gentlemen who were spearfishing in tampa, and he was amazed that they could go down and stay underwater. Theyre scuba diving. Mel falls in love with the new sport. He follows his parents to california, where they buy a chicken ranch. A lot of clucking and feathers, but hes moving closer to his dream. He bought a compressor and started filling his own tanks. In 1952, a beautiful local girl named deo horton walks in and steps out with mel. He taught her how to scuba dive, and they decided that they were gonna open a dive shop. Together, they lead dive charters to explore shipwrecks off the california coast. Treasure hunting was really a passion for my father. It was full of romance and adventure. Soon, mel and deo have a thriving business in Redondo Beach and three boys kane, kim and dirk. My mother was trying to get other women to go diving, so she decided she was gonna set the worlds record for staying underwater. And she did 55 hours and 37 minutes. As deo put it, worst case of dishpan hands in history. She is pregnant at the time with taffi. Were you born with a wet suit . I was born with webbed feet. [ both laugh ] eyeing bigger fish to fry, mel sells the dive shop and moves his family to the florida coast to become a fulltime Treasure Hunter. He sets his sights on one particular prize. He read about a shipwreck, which had 40 tons of gold and silver and copper on board. Her name is Nuestra Senora de atocha. In september 1622, the spanish galleon leaves havana, bound for seville. Shes loaded with treasure from spains central and south american colonies gold bars, finely worked religious articles, and gold chains that some spanish officials are trying to smuggle home in their baggage. [ thunder crashes ] but a caribbean storm sends the atocha to the bottom. Finding her wreck becomes mel fishers obsession. Every morning, he rousts his crew with a simple Statement Today is the day. And, of course, every day, my father is saying, today is the day. Were gonna hit it. Were almost there. Itll only take a few more months, and well have it all. Finally, mels search turns up a couple of musket balls from the atocha, plus some coins, a gold chain, and an anchor, then three silver bars 76 pounds each. Hes getting warmer. But then it would kind of piddle off, and hed say, thats all right. Well find it tomorrow. And the next day, today is the day. Mel and deos son dirk and dirks wife, angel, pitch in to run the northwind, one of their salvage boats. They found nine bronze cannons, and that was major, but there was nothing much around those cannons. What are the next five years like . Mostly just empty holes. Digging hundreds of thousands of empty holes. Mel is out of money, living on a rundown houseboat. Then, in july 1975, a faulty valve on the northwind leads to tragedy. What happened . My brother dirk and his wife, angel, and a good friend, rick gage, were killed one night when the boat capsized at sea. And that tragedy on the water didnt deter dad from wanting to be on the water . I think if there was one time ever that my parents considered not continuing, that was it. Tell me about your brother dirk. We were all very depressed about it, but we decided that dirk would want us to continue. And, so, it actually increased our determination. We were gonna find it for dirk. So mel returns to the trail of scattered pieces of the atochas cargo, knowing each tiny find is a data point that inches him closer to the wreck site. Wed find a nail, maybe, a ballast stone, just little teases. Teases that tell mel he must be closing in. Others sense it, too, including the government, which wants a cut. In 1977, the federal government and the state of florida claim they own everything salvaged from the atocha. Mel fights back. He found a lawyer who was in admiralty law, and they arrested a piece of the shipwreck and put it in my fathers custody. Arresting the wreck is the legal action a marinesalvage operator files when hes found an abandoned shipwreck. The law wants to create an incentive for people like mel to find valuables lost at sea. Thats just the start of his battle with the government. It takes seven years, 151 trials and hearings, 1. 2 million in legal fees, and a trip to the u. S. Supreme court. But, finally, mel fisher prevails. No one else can own it. Nope. Its ours. No wonder youre smiling all the time. [ laughs ] after he beat the government in court, he said, america has one of the best governments in the world, because a little guy like me can fight and win. Mel fisher may own the atocha, but the main cargo hold is still out there somewhere. Then, on july 20, 1985, after almost 17 years of scouring the sea, the radio at mels Key West Office crackles to life. Its his son kane. My brother called in and said, you know, get dad on the radio. I got some Important News to tell him. What was the news . The news was that we had found the main pile of the atocha. It was an 80footlong pile of silver bars and coin chests and jewelry. It was just there sticking up out of the mud. Is today the day . Find out next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. How many sunken spanish treasure ships lie undiscovered off the florida coast . The answer when we return. Beep goes off ] now that you have new dr. 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If you do not contact us immediately, your account will be deactivated. For more information about this case file, press 1 or call immediately our Department Number 326 this is a scam thieves are misusing the Social Security administrations authority in phone schemes to trick you into giving them money or personal information. They state there is a problem with your Social Security number or account. They claim there has been suspicious or fraudulent activity and you could be arrested or face other legal action. They even spoof ssas Main CustomerService Telephone number on caller id. Dont believe them. Dont provide any information. Ssa employees will never threaten you for information or promise benefits in exchange for information. In those cases, the call is fraudulent. Just hang up. If you suspect youve been contacted by an ssa scammer, call the Social Security fraud hotline at 18002690271 the answer is b. The 40 to 50 wrecks likely contain billions of dollars in precious metal and jewels. July 20, 1985. Yes, this really is the day for mel fisher. After almost 17 years of searching, the Treasure Hunter finally discovers the main cargo hold of the atocha, a spanish galleon that sank off key west in 1622. 55 five feet down from us, there was this big pile of silver bars about 80 feet long, and then money chains, gold chains, about 6 pounds of emeralds. 6 pounds of emeralds. Hes lived nearly two decades on the financial edge, been written off as a kook and a charlatan, and rededicated himself to his goal after losing a son and daughterinlaw to the sea. But now mel fisher has accomplished his mission. The value of what we found, at that time, was about 400 million. There were so many people who were doubters, but at this point, every magazine in the world came and wanted dad on the cover. Mel even gets on the tonight show and impresses Johnny Carson with his favorite treasure a 6footlong gold chain, which he likes to wear around key west and show to kids. Do you have a favorite piece so far . Yeah, my favorite piece is a poison cup. Its a solidgold cup and it has very beautiful engraving. And in the bottom of the cup is a mount for a stone. And if anything with poison was poured in the cup, the stone would change colors. Is that what you like about it . The story . Well, that, plus i found it myself. [ laughs ] mels daughter, taffi, oversees archiving the artifacts his divers bring up. So, the fine jewelry, obviously, is right up my alley. This rosary is unbelievable. Yes, this a gold rosary with ebony inlay. Oh mel salvaged thousands of spanish coins like this one. The cross represented the ten commandments. You know the ten commandments, dont you . Yes. Well, if you never broke any, ill let you have that. [ both laugh ] mel shares a big chunk of the treasure with his crew. How much is a secret. But suffice it to say there were a bunch of new millionaires in key west. Did your folks and your life change . Did they live bigger . Whatd they do . Well, a little bit. It was nice not to have to worry about money anymore. But, you know, they stayed in the same house. After the atocha, it became more like a hobby, cause he didnt have to work anymore. But he loved it. He loves the search and the thrill of finding it. My father said, taffi, remember, were only temporary custodians of all of this treasure. Hundreds of years ago, it all belonged to someone else, and then it was lost. And then we found it, and weve been custodians for a while. And hundreds of years from now, someone else will have it. Words of a man who relishes the hunt for treasure more than possessing it. In 1994, mel fisher begins a battle with lymphatic cancer. He continues to search for treasure almost to his last days. He dies at age 76, in 1998. What was it like when dad passed . We had a big celebration of his life. We took his ashes out and put them over the atocha site on fathers day the following year. In 2009, mels widow, deo, passes away, too, leaving the treasure of the atocha to her children. What is like to inherit something that was underwater for 400 years . Thats pretty strange. Yeah, its a very strange inheritance and very exciting at the same time. Exciting, in part, because before deo dies, she tells her children its time to begin selling off the atocha treasure. Selling once. Selling twice. Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. According to legend, a 17th century ghost ship called the flying dutchman is cursed in which way . The answer when we return. Fact is, every Insurance Company hopes you drive safely. But allstate actually helps you drive safely. With drivewise. It lets you know when you go too fast. And brake too hard. With feedback to help you drive safer. Giving you the power to actually lower your cost. Unfortunately, it cant do anything about that. Now that you know the truth. Are you in good hands . And my side super soft . With the sleep number 360 smart bed you can both adjust your comfort with your sleep number setting. So, can it help us fall asleep faster . Yes, by gently warming your feet. But can it help keep me asleep . Absolutely, it intelligently senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. Will it help me keep up with him . Yup. So, ill wake up ready for anything . Oh, weve got your back. So, you can really promise better sleep . Not promise. Prove. And now, save up to 600 on select sleep number 360 smart beds. Only for a limited time. The answer is a. For hundreds of years, sailors reported seeing the phantom ship aimlessly wandering the seas. For almost two decades, as he searched for the atocha, mel fisher confronted doubt, suspicion, financial risk, and personal tragedy, yet he never gave up. When he dies, in 1998, his heirs inherit the fulltime job of running the salvage business and managing the fortune in treasure he left them. And in august 2015, in new york city, theyre in the midst of a major piece of business auctioning off a big chunk of the gold, silver, and jewels from the atocha. These objects have an intrinsic value, but it goes way beyond that because of the history of how they were discovered. Arlan ettinger, the founder of guernseys auction house, has sold everything from soviet art to Jerry Garcias guitar. Well begin tonight with lot number 1, the three silver coins. And 2,000 for them. Mel fishers daughter, taffi, has spent months preparing for this day. Its exciting and a little nerveracking. Part of the proceeds will be donated to a foundation taffi and her husband established in memory of their 12yearold son, michael, who died in 2006 of sudden cardiac arrest. Lot number 11. Fair warning at 750. So, were just hoping that its appreciated and loved and people bid high. The Fisher Family decides this auction will have no reserve, or minimum bid, for most of the objects. Lot number 83, the silver coin. 950. 1,000 is bid. 1,100. 1,100 is bid. 1,200. 3,500. And now 3,750. Any more beyond yes. 3,750. Sold here for 3,750. The smugglers silver coin. 18,000 is the bid. 19,000 is bid. And now 20,000. Fair warning at 30,000. Last chance. 30,000 for bidder number 607. And what about mels favorite . The gold chain he wore on the tonight show just after discovering the mother lode. Selling once. Selling twice. Sold to the telephone for 60,000. Okay, lot number 51, the gold bar. 55,000 is bid. And now 60,000. You marvel at their brilliance. How is it possible that these were under the water, in turbulent conditions, for 400 years and look like they were crafted yesterday . 60,000. 65,000. 70,000. And 75,000 next. Yes 75,000. Sold for 75,000. A fabulous emerald cross. 85,000 is bid. And now 90,000. 90,000 is bid. And now 95,000. Sold for 95,000. Now lot number 53, the gold disk. 60,000 is bid. And now 65,000. 80,000. And now 85,000. And 90,000 is bid. And now 95,000 on the phone. Selling once. Selling twice. Sold for 110,000. The gold chalice. 350,000. And 375,000 next. Sold here for 350,000. Aggregate some buyers get bargains, but the final tally of just over 2 million is a tidy sum for both the Fisher Family and taffis foundation. Some of the bids were very high. Some of the bids were very low. But, you know, everything sold, so i dont have to carry anything home. Maybe can save some lives. And maybe well just go out and find a whole bunch of more treasure. A whole bunch more treasure, because wait till you hear how much atocha booty remains beneath the sea. Excuse me . Thats next. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. Dto experiencer gthrilling performance. Now, at the lexus golden opportunity sales event. Get 0. 9 apr for 60 months on all 2019 models. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. But some give their clients cookie cutter portfolios. Fisher investments tailors portfolios to your goals and needs. Some only call when they have something to sell. Fisher calls regularly so you stay informed. And while some advisors are happy to earn commissions whether you do well or not. Fisher investments fees are structured so we do better when you do better. Maybe thats why most of our clients come from other money managers. Fisher investments. Clearly better money management. Now back to strange inheritance. Their auction has just raked in more than 2 million, but mel fishers heirs are not done searching for treasure. You see, they not only inherited the fortune thats already been salvaged from the atocha, but the rights to anything else from the wreck site. How much is left down there . 250 million. What . Dollars worth of treasure. Excuse me . 250 million worth of treasure. Mel used to say, todays the day. His kids predict there will be more days ahead. I saw the sunset last night, and there was a green flash. That means were gonna find a big pile today. Well find the sterncastle of the atocha thats been so elusive very soon, maybe tomorrow. Okay. Have you ever had a real job . You mean besides Treasure Hunting . No. The Fisher Family spreads their love of Treasure Hunting around. Several times a year, they run cruises to the site of the atocha. Its a chance for even nondivers to search for treasure without getting their feet wet. Todays the day. Using a system called an airlift, divers suck up sediment from the ocean floor right into these troughs on deck. When you see a Green Emerald with that white sediment, you cant miss it. Well, i was digging through the sand. A Green Emerald popped right out at me. I couldnt believe it. Great start for the day. Is it true that theres a 40pound bag of emeralds down there . And are you looking for it . Actually, its 70 pounds of emeralds. Should i tell you greens my favorite color . [ thunder crashes ] four centuries ago, nature intervened, and the treasure of Nuestra Senora de atocha never arrived at its original destination, but through the labors of one dedicated and slightly obsessive man, it was not lost forever. Now it will be scattered across the world to collectors, museums, and churches. After that, who knows . As mel fisher said, nobody holds on to this treasure for long. Mel fishers heirs clearly inherited their fathers undying fascination with shipwrecks. Taffi told me, once youve seen the ocean paved with gold, its hard to quit. Or, as mel used to say, its not the find. Its the hunt. And, kim, if you do come up across that big old bag of emeralds, please give your pal, jamie colby, a call. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance. And, remember, you cant take it with you. Im Gregg Jarrett from new york. Trish Iranian Forces ramping up their aggression. The president quickly resporntding to this report. President trump iran is in big trouble. Its easy to straighten out or make it a lot worse. Trish mike baker. A nightmare. The far left congresswoman ilhan omar says shell be to president trump. Tonight he responds. One word that