they cannot seem to find them into the back to the moon but those guys got it done. >> i remember that. thank you for >> they're cars you never heard of. >> he liked to buy unique cars -- kissels, grahams, overlands. he always used to say, "i don't want to meet myself on the road." >> it's a great hobby. keeps you out of the beer joints. >> do you have your foot on the brake, teacher? just in case? >> i haven't jumped out yet. >> these heirs hit a fork in the road... >> so that is a point of contention. do you donate cars here? do you have an auction? >> it's really tough to get every sibling on the same page. >> yeah, i'd say we're no different. >> ...until they hear an emotional voice from the past. >> when we go by his gravesite, he's probably on high spin mode up there. >> it's just money. can't take it with you.

>> i'm jamie colby, and today i'm cruising through boone county, iowa, smack dab in the middle of corn country. i'm here to meet the heirs of a man who left behind dozens and dozens of "orphans." orphan cars, that is. so, what's an orphan car? you're 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 there's only a few known to exist. >> i meet up with jerry and his brother john at this modern, climate-controlled barn. what's in the barn? you got tractors, you got horses? >> something better. >> better than that? >> you're gonna love this. >> whoa.

i am in heaven. did you know i love cars? >> i've heard a rumor. >> this is an incredible collection. you inherited this? >> our father's collection. >> i imagine there's a great story behind these cars. >> each and every one. >> these car stories begin right up the road in roland, iowa, where john and jerry's 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 he'd 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 he's 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. >> that's probably true. >> when the great depression hits, it devastates farm country and grant's 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 pierce-arrow, peerless, and packard, you don't hear of any of those today. they're all gone. >> so an orphan car is a car with no parents. >> yeah, that's basically right. >> so when grant reaches his mid-50s and starts seeing some real-estate investments pay off,

he's finally able to track down those orphan cars that fascinated him in his youth. >> there's not a lot of fords or chevys. he liked to buy unique cars. he always used to say, "i don't want to meet myself on the road." >> grant's 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 pierce-arrow roadster. >> there's maybe fewer than five that are known to exist of that car. >> i'm totally loving the paint. is it also unique? >> the guy he bought it from liked butter-nut coffee, so he painted the car to look like the butter-nut coffee can. >> grant's 1925 kissel gold bug, made popular by amelia earhart, is just as rare. can i get inside? >> absolutely. >> i'm 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 grant's 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 didn't 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 here's another rare phaeton, this one supposedly built at the 1934 world's fair in chicago. grant's 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, grant's four children -- now "orphans" themselves -- still haven't 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, who's gone into collecting, leans that way, too. but the other two siblings, jim and marilyn, don't have the same emotional connection to the

cars and would just as soon sell them. >> we're all pretty independent people. >> that's hard. >> absolutely, it's hard. >> and it won't 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?! we'll 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.

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(music and splat sound) (music) oops (music) (music birds chirping) uh-oh... (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 tv's to protect children at anchorit.gov. >> there never was an airmobile. o-we-gos 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 quam's passion was tracking down orphans -- rare and unusual cars from now-defunct 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. pierce-arrows, grahams. >> he gathers over 80 unique models, such as this 1920 peerless roadster. >> it was one of the most original cars he's ever bought. it still has the original radiator hoses. they're white because that was the natural color of rubber, and they started to color rubber black later on. >> after grant's death in 2007, his heirs are torn about what to do with their father's unique car pool. do they sell? keep? donate? >> you know, i find, with inheritances, it's really tough to get every sibling on the same page. >> yeah, i'd say we're 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 grant's hoard of automobiles is spread out among three locations, and not every car looks shiny and new.

this machine shed is jam-packed with grant's 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 mid-tier-quality cars. jim puts these in the five-figure range. but the real money is in the final storage area, what grant called his "inner sanctum." >> this had his pierce-arrow, 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 weren't able to crank the cars and get them started. >> i'm 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. >> let's 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. >> i'm an excellent driver. i'm an excellent driver. this is like driver's ed. do you have your foot on the brake, teacher? just in case? >> i haven't jumped out yet. >> going straight is one thing, but now the real challenge -- turning! the turns are not so easy. >> no. you'd do well back in that time period. you'd be the, uh, envy of

the neighborhood. >> whoo-hoo! how'd 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 doesn't shift grant's heirs out of neutral. the siblings need something more to finally settle the dispute on how to handle their father's cars. that's when they receive a message, almost from beyond the grave. that's next. >> here's another quiz question for you.

the answer when we return. chugga-chugga, 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, that's too hot. act your age. get your own insurance company. carlo, why don't you start us with a little bit of cereal? you can spread it all around the table. and we're gonna split the warm hot dog. and i'll 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.

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>> 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 quam's four children can't agree on what to do with their strange inheritance -- 80 so-called orphan cars potentially worth over a million dollars. >> jim and marilyn think it's time to sell, but jerry and john would like to see the collection kept together. >> i've had a chance to experience most every car here.

spent a lot of time in these. i've driven most of them through the years. >> it's two against two. something's got to give. how do they decide? they go to the videotape. remember that local-tv piece featuring grant all those years ago? turns out a crucial part of grant's interview was never broadcast. >> it was like a 15-minute segment, but later they offered up the entire raw footage of the shoot. >> they pop the cutting-room-floor footage in the vcr. during the unedited, hour-long interview, grant is asked about many topics that never reach air, including the future of his cherished autos. listen. >> [ laughs ]

>> their father's 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. there's 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 wasn't gonna work. >> soon after, the family hires auctioneer yvette vanderbrink to handle the sale of their dad's 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 we're up against. >> how much work went into getting them ready for auction? >> it's overwhelming to deal with. you got to get the mechanics up working on 'em, you got to get the detail people to come up.

it's a long process. >> despite the challenge, the family brings many back to life. and as the auction nears, the reality of saying goodbye to dad's cars begins to sink in. >> this is a piece of dad. it's very personal to your father. >> yeah. but he always used to say there's time slots in life, right, for different things. and, uh, anyway, this time slot is over, right, so it's time to sell 'em and -- and move on. >> of course there's no telling what grant's 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 there's never been one sold and there's only five made? >> what do you expect? >> it's 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 grant's orphans find a good home... >> at 40, 40, 40. now 5. >> ...and which ones do not.

what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website -- strangeinheritance.com. brad, i've 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,

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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 father's treasured fleet of orphan cars. you think you're doing this auction to his satisfaction? >> well, that's a good, good question. we always tease that, uh, when we go by his gravesite, he's probably on high spin mode. >> the biggest concern -- whether the right buyers will make the trek to small-town iowa for these exceedingly rare models. >> it's been a long adventure, nine months of getting ready. so we're 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. >> we're 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 aren't going anywhere without the right bid. >> this is a 1936 pierce-arrow. 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 we'll see what happens. >> at 35, at 5, at 5. at 35. where are you gonna find one? it's one of five, guys. >> but today, that right buyer doesn't show up. >> okay, folks, that has not met the reserve. if you are interested, come talk to us. >> grant's 1925 kissel gold bug also fails to hit the minimum bid. >> you have to have the right people here, and you never know. we don't want to give the cars away. >> after that distressing start,

they learn they won't have to. the auction picks up speed with the '34 phaeton, said to have been built at the chicago world's fair. >> at 45,000. at 45, 5, 5. at 40,000, let's go. you have to step up your game there. at 51, 1, 1, at 1. at 51,000. it's just money. can't 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. grant's '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 it's looking -- looking okay >> now up for bid -- grant's 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 big-value cars still left to sell privately in the future, the family believes they'll break the million-dollar mark. >> it's a bittersweet thing. i mean, as i started seeing cars

going out of here, it's kind of reality. but it feels good to see people that love them, and they'll take care of them. >> and isn't that what adopting an orphan is all about? jerry's sure he's done right by his dad, getting his babies into good hands. >> his time slot is over. it's 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 we're happy to see that, and he would have too. >> before the auction, jerry quam purchased a few cars from his father's collection. he didn't pick the ones that were the most valuable or rare. in fact, the cars didn't 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 dad's precious cars, a part of grant's legacy will live on and stay in the family.

i'm jamie colby for "strange inheritance." thanks so much for watching. and remember... >> it's just money. can't 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 there's a 40-pound bag of emeralds down there? >> it's 70 pounds of emeralds. >> could you look harder?

i'm jamie colby, and, today, i'm 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 island's 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. it's 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. >> taffi's 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 didn't 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. >> he'd met some gentlemen who were spearfishing in tampa, and he was amazed that they could go down and stay underwater. >> they're 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 he's 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 world's 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 full-time 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 señora de atocha. in september 1622, the spanish galleon leaves havana, bound for seville. she's loaded with treasure from spain's 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 fisher's 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. we're gonna hit it. we're almost there. it'll only take a few more months, and we'll have it all." >> finally, mel's 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. he's getting warmer. >> but then it would kind of piddle off, and he'd say, "that's all right. we'll find it tomorrow." and the next day, "today is the day." >> mel and deo's son dirk and dirk's 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 didn't 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 atocha's cargo, knowing each

tiny find is a data point that inches him closer to the wreck site. >> we'd 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 father's custody. >> "arresting the wreck" is the legal action a marine-salvage operator files when he's found an abandoned shipwreck. the law wants to create an incentive for people like mel to find valuables lost at sea. that's 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. it's ours. >> no wonder you're 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 mel's key west office crackles to life. it's 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 80-foot-long 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. scholl's massaging gel advanced insoles with softer, bouncier gel waves, you'll move over 10% more than before. dr. scholl's. born to move. that i won the "best of" i casweepstakes it. and i get to be in this geico commercial? let's do the eyebrows first, just tease it a little. slather it all over, don't hold back. well, the squirrels followed me all the way out to california! and there's a very strange badger staring at me... no, i can't believe how easy it was to save hundreds of dollars

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>> 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. he's 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

daughter-in-law 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 6-foot-long 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. it's a solid-gold 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 ] >> mel's 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, don't you? >> yes. >> well, if you never broke any, i'll 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? what'd 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 didn't have to work anymore. but he loved it. he loves the search and the thrill of finding it. >> my father said, "taffi, remember, we're 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 we've 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 father's day the following year. >> in 2009, mel's 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? that's pretty strange. >> yeah, it's a very strange inheritance and very exciting at

the same time. >> exciting, in part, because before deo dies, she tells her children it's time to begin selling off the atocha treasure. >> selling once. selling twice. >> that's next. >> here's 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 can't do anything about that. now that you know the truth... are you in good hands?

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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 full-time job of running the salvage business and managing the fortune in treasure he left them. and in august 2015, in new york city, they're 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 guernsey's auction house, has sold everything from soviet art to jerry garcia's guitar. >> we'll begin tonight with lot number 1, the three silver coins.

and $2,000 for them. >> mel fisher's daughter, taffi, has spent months preparing for this day. >> it's exciting and a little nerve-racking. >> part of the proceeds will be donated to a foundation taffi and her husband established in memory of their 12-year-old son, michael, who died in 2006 of sudden cardiac arrest. >> lot number 11. fair warning at $750. >> so, we're just hoping that it's 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 smuggler's 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 mel's 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 taffi's foundation. >> some of the bids were very high. some of the bids were very low. but, you know, everything sold, so i don't have to carry anything home. maybe can save some lives. and maybe we'll 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? that's next.

what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail 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 that's 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 fisher's heirs are not done searching for treasure. you see, they not only inherited the fortune that's 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, "today's 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 we're gonna find a big pile today.

we'll find the stern-castle of the atocha that's 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. it's a chance for even non-divers to search for treasure without getting their feet wet. >> today's 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 can't miss it. >> well, i was digging through the sand. a green emerald popped right out at me. i couldn't believe it. >> great start for the day. >> is it true that there's a 40-pound bag of emeralds down

there? and are you looking for it? >> actually, it's 70 pounds of emeralds. >> should i tell you green's my favorite color? [ thunder crashes ] four centuries ago, nature intervened, and the treasure of nuestra señora 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 fisher's heirs clearly inherited their father's undying fascination with shipwrecks. taffi told me, "once you've seen the ocean paved with gold, it's hard to quit." or, as mel used to say, "it's not the find. it's the hunt." and, kim, if you do come up across that big old bag of emeralds, please give your pal,

jamie colby, a call. i'm jamie colby for "strange inheritance." and, remember, you can't take it with you. i'm 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. it's easy to straighten out or make it a lot worse. trish: mike baker. a nightmare. the far left congresswoman ilhan omar says she'll be to president trump. tonight he responds. one word that