US Couple Faces Trial in France for Allegedly Stealing Shipwreck Gold: What You Need to Know

An 80-year-old American novelist, Gay Courter, and her husband, Philip, are facing legal trouble in France. They are accused of selling gold bars believed to be stolen from an 18th-century shipwreck. French prosecutors are pushing to take the case to trial, claiming the couple helped sell the gold online for a diver who stole it years ago. The Courters deny any wrongdoing and say they didn’t know the gold was stolen.

The ship, Le Prince de Conty, sank in 1746 during a storm near Brittany. It was rediscovered in 1974, lying 10 to 15 meters underwater. After the wreck was found, looting began almost immediately. Archaeologists discovered valuable items, like fine Chinese porcelain and gold bars, in the following years. However, bad weather in 1985 scattered the wreck’s remains, halting official digs.

In 2018, Michel L’Hour, head of France’s underwater archaeology department, noticed gold bars listed on a U.S. auction site. He suspected they were from the Prince de Conty, which led to their seizure and return to France by 2022. Investigators traced the listing back to Gay Courter, who claims she received the gold from friends in France. These friends, particularly Annette May Pesty, had a dubious story about finding the gold while diving off the coast of Cape Verde.

Interestingly, a past trial in 1983 convicted several people involved in the ship’s looting, but Pesty’s brother-in-law, Yves Gladu, was not among them. Recently, he admitted to retrieving 16 gold bars from the wreck after multiple dives but said he sold them to a retired military man in Switzerland in 2006, denying any gifts to the Courters.

The Courters were arrested in the UK and placed under house arrest in 2022. Investigators found they had been involved with at least 23 gold bars, selling 18 of them for over $192,000. They maintain that any money made was meant for Gladu.

Now, a prosecutor in Brest wants to proceed with charges against not only the Courters but also Gladu and Pesty. A decision on whether the case will go to trial is expected in the fall of 2026. Courter’s lawyer argues that they were unaware of the implications, as U.S. gold regulations differ significantly from those in France.

This case draws attention not just for its historical backdrop but also for its implications on underwater treasure hunting. With the discovery of sunken ships often leading to legal disputes over ownership and ethics, this situation raises questions about how far treasure hunters can go to claim their finds and the responsibilities that come with such discoveries.

The story of Gay Courter is more than just a legal issue; it ties into a broader discussion on maritime heritage and the ethics surrounding the salvage of sunken treasures.

For more insights on maritime laws and archaeological practices, you may want to explore the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their resources on underwater cultural heritage.

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