Chuck Ripper (American, B. 1929) "Scuba Diver and Shipwreck" Signed lower left. Original Gouache/Watercolor painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the 29c Diver and Ships Wheel stamp issued October 3, 1994. Although more than 20,000 ships have sunk this century alone, only a few thousand have ever been recovered. This is mainly true because the business of treasure diving is extremely expensive and requires fierce dedication and long hours of hard work. One of the first and most important steps in such a monumental undertaking is the research process. Studying a sunken ship's history and learning as much as possible about its cargo is paramount to the success of this type of endeavor. Even when the researcher locates what he believes to be a treasure-laden wreck, there is still much work to be done before donning scuba gear. Treasure hunters must hire an experienced crew, study local laws concerning salvage and be prepared to endure years of court battles if necessary to protect their claims. Once the actual excavation gets underway, it can take months or even the better part of a year to fully salvage those artifacts that have remained intact within the wreck. Unfortunately most sunken vessels, even treasure-laden ones, yield the finder far less profit than expected. However, in early 1970, professional salvor Melvin A. Fisher gleaned an estimated $6 million in valuables from the Nuestra Se?ora de Atocha, a Spanish galleon that had sunk along the Florida Keys in 1622. Good fortune struck twice for Fisher. Almost 10 years after the Atocha discovery, his divers recovered even greater bounty from its sister ship, the Santa Margarita. Image Size: 12 x 14 in. Overall Size: 15 x 17 in. Unframed. (B14831)