Sharing the Treasures

Odyssey is committed to sharing the thrill and adventure of deep-ocean exploration as well as the knowledge and treasures acquired from each shipwreck project. Through television, the internet, books and other publications, educational programs, traveling exhibits and by allowing collectors to own their own piece of history, there is an opportunity for everyone interested in shipwrecks to participate in Odyssey's fascinating discoveries.

Deep-ocean archaeological excavation is costly, and Odyssey’s business model contains several revenue streams that help fund future explorations while also providing many no-cost opportunities for the public to experience and benefit from our worldwide research and discoveries. We share the excitement of our deep-sea adventures and the priceless treasures and knowledge we discover through a variety of channels including:

Exhibits

Cargo and Trade Goods

Other Merchandise

Television Programming

Books and other Publications

Educational Curriculum

Promotional Events

Exhibits

Many of the artifacts recovered from our shipwreck projects remain in Odyssey's permanent collection and are available for exhibits and further study.

Odyssey exhibits include:

• Odyssey’s SHIPWRECK! Pirates & Treasure, an interactive multi-media exhibit featuring hundreds of artifacts recovered from our deep-ocean shipwreck exploration. The exhibit has been showcased at at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, TX; Sarasota, Baltimore, Charlotte, NC Oklahoma City, Detroit, Tampa and New Orleans. SHIPWRECK! Pirates & Treasure will soon be on display at the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs, AR.
• Odyssey's Virtual Museum is accessible to anyone around the world at any time, free of charge. The Museum showcases some of the extraordinary artifacts that have been recovered by Odyssey in the deep-ocean. The Museum is continually growing and objects are being added on a regular basis.
• A collection of 45 rare coins from the SS Republic shipwreck, minted in New Orleans from 1844 through 1861, is currently showcased at the New Orleans Mint (known today as the Old U.S. Mint). This unique exhibit features examples of die errors and a rare 17 coin set of 1861-O Liberty Seated Half Dollars struck at the New Orleans Mint which chronicles the Federal government, Louisiana government and Confederate States of America control over the mint that year.
• The American Victory Ship in Tampa displays an Odyssey Shipwreck Exploration display that showcases the advanced technology used by Odyssey, as well seafaring history and 24 authentic artifacts from the Civil War-era SS Republic.

In 2007, Odyssey’s authentic shipwreck artifacts and treasure were also displayed at Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom in a special exhibit as part of the park's “Pirates and Princesses” event. In 2010, Oxford's The Museum of the History of Science displayed a 17th-century wooden folding rule, the oldest of its kind ever discovered on a shipwreck site, recovered by Odyssey in 2006 in the English Channel.

We welcome additional opportunities to share our fascinating shipwreck collections in science centers, museums, galleries and other venues. For further information, contact us.

For additional information about our exhibits, click the exhibit tab above.

Cargo and Trade Goods

Odyssey’s primary source of revenue comes from the sale of cargo or trade goods recovered from shipwrecks.

"Cargo” or “trade goods” refer to items or cargo found on a ship in large and repetitive quantities. After comprehensive study, the sale of such exclusively mass-produced objects does not result in the loss of long-term or historical or archaeological knowledge. For example, when a shipwreck is found with a large cargo of identical coins, as in the case of the SS Republic, Odyssey markets and sells many after thorough documentation and study, and importantly after having selected representative samples for future study and exhibition. The large quantity of bottles recovered from the SS Republic, numbering over 6,000 and clearly shipped as cargo for trade, are also included in this category of “cargo sales.” 

Odyssey has carefully chosen appropriate numismatic partners and distributors to facilitate coin sales directly to collectors. Coins and other cargo artifacts are also sold at the retail level in conjunction with Odyssey shipwreck exhibits and on Odyssey's webstore. To inquire about becoming an authorized Odyssey distributor, contact us.

Other Merchandise

Odyssey has developed a wide variety of additional merchandise for sale to the public. Some pieces, including one-of-a-kind jewelry artisan-crafted from glass shards recovered from the SS Republic site, include authentic items recovered from a shipwreck. Artifact replicas and distinctive Odyssey logo merchandise are also offered on our webstore and through authorized dealers.

In addition to marketing the products of Odyssey's successful shipwreck recovery operations, the company also provides opportunities to market shipwreck artifacts, replicas and collectibles for other projects and for groups that engage in joint ventures with Odyssey.

Television Programming

A 12 episode television series, "TREASURE QUEST," showcasing the Odyssey team premiered on Discovery Channel worldwide in 2009. Emmy® Award-winning JWM Productions was granted exclusive access to film Odyssey's 2008 "Atlas" Search expedition to produce this exciting high-definition series chronicling the search for and discovery of shipwrecks with unique stories to tell. Episodes included forensic analysis with stunning computer graphics as well as experts in cutting-edge laboratories laboring to analyze and conserve fragile artifacts recovered from the watery depths. During each episode viewers were treated to spectacular underwater HD video of shipwreck discoveries through the cameras of Odyssey's Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).

Odyssey expeditions have also been the subject of a one hour National Geographic Special broadcast on PBS called "Civil War Gold", a National Geographic Ultimate Explorer episode, Dateline NBC segments, and on countless television news magazines and broadcasts.

Books and Other Publications

Odyssey shipwreck expeditions and projects are chronicled in various publications including books, newspaper articles, magazine features, archaeological reports, scientific articles, and professional journals. Our goal is to document thoroughly our shipwreck discoveries, while informing, entertaining and educating the general public as well as making our results accessible to the archaeological community.

Two books have been published about the SS Republic shipwreck: "Lost Gold of the Republic" and "Bottles from the Deep". The Republic was also featured in the September 2004 edition of National Geographic magazine.

In 2009, Oceans Odyssey, the first bound collection of Odyssey's archaeological papers showcasing Odyssey's pioneering work in the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean, was published by Oxbow books.

Additional articles about the Republic and other Odyssey projects are available in our "Features" section. Odyssey Papers written by our research, conservation, archaeology and curation staff are available in our archaeology section under publications.

Educational Curriculum

Odyssey has developed and supported a number of educational programs, including shipwreck exploration and marine archaeology curriculum. While it has been featured as an educational tool in conjunction with our traveling exhibit, SHIPWRECK! Pirates & Treasure, the curriculum and educational programs have also been used in schools across the country on a standalone basis. For more information on our educational programs click here.

Promotional Activities

Promotional activities expose our projects to a broad audience. One example was Odyssey’s partnership with Walt Disney Studios in its promotion of “The World’s Biggest Treasure Hunt,” a multi-week online treasure hunt game to promote Jerry Bruckheimer Films', NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS. The game players were eligible to win authentic treasure from the Civil War-era SS Republic shipwreck discovered by Odyssey in 2003.