Booty

A 15th Century ship laden with tons of copper ingots, elephant tusks, gold coins -- and cannons to fend off pirates has been found off the coast of Africa.

Judging from the notables depicted on the hoard of Spanish and Portuguese coins and the type of cannons and crude navigational equipment, the ship went down in the late 1400s or early 1500s, around the time Vasco de Gama and Columbus were plying the waters of the New World.

What sent her down may remain a mystery. But there are theories, noting the stretch of coast where it met its fate was notorious for fierce storms and disorienting fogs.

Spanish gold coins, Portuguese silver coins minted in the late 1400s or early 1500s were found, as well as dividers used for measuring distance on a map during navigation.

The reverse of the some of the gold coins depicts Ferdinand and Isabella, two Spanish monarchs of the time.