360,000 Shipwreck Coins to be Sold on QVC

The Franklin Mint

Acquires a Treasure-
Trove of Artifacts

The Franklin Mint has

acquired virtually all
recovered contents from
"El Cazador" ("the
hunter"), an 18th-
century Spanish "Brig
of War" sunk in 1784
and discovered in
1993.

Lost at sea in 1784, El

Cazador remains one of the
most significant shipwrecks in history. The Spanish Crown's equivalent of an
"armored car," the ship was loaded with 450,000 pesos of silver reales minted
to provide financial support to the failing economy of Spanish-held Louisiana.
The loss of this ship led Spain to forfeit control of its New World territories to
Napoleon, who later sold them to President Thomas Jefferson in the Louisiana
Purchase. It was this landmark event that instantly doubled the size of the
United States of America and helped define the shape of the nation we know
today.

"This is one of the most profound discoveries of our time and the greatest
offering in the history of The Franklin Mint," said M. Moshe Malamud,
chairman of The Franklin Mint. "Not only is this the largest hoard of 18th-
century silver coins ever recovered, the loss had a momentous positive impact
on our nation. The Franklin Mint will now make it possible for the public to
own a highly coveted and valuable piece of history."

The estimated retail value of the ship's recovered treasures in today's market
could exceed $100 million. The shipwreck's contents include a large cache of
valuable silver coins (recognized as one of the very first U.S. dollars since it
pre-dates the formation of the U.S. mint in 1792), the ship's bell, bronze
cannons, 500-lb anchor and other precious artifacts.

Now, to share with the public this amazing story of discovery and historical
significance of the El Cazador shipwreck, The Franklin Mint is poised to
commence the most far-reaching marketing program since the company was
founded in 1964. The rarest of a few select coins will be sold at public auction.
Additional rare and lost treasure coins and jewelry in limited-edition offerings
are scheduled to be available to order on QVC, one of the world's largest
multimedia retailers, April 17, 2007 beginning at midnight (ET). QVC viewers
will have the chance to hear one of history's greatest tales during special
programming throughout the day.

The ship's treasure coins have been professionally evaluated and graded by the
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the leading independent
authenticator of shipwreck artifacts, and plans for future preservation of the
ship's archives (including those yet to be recovered) are underway.

This offering is the result of a painstaking, decade-long recovery and

restoration process - one of the most ambitious recovery efforts ever taken on.
The silver coin artifacts have suffered the ravages of the sea after more than
220 years and were originally found with the appearance of pitted rock, with
each coin having to go through a special desalination and time-consuming
cleaning process in order to preserve the highest quality. Each coin artifact was
then meticulously examined by NGC professionals, cataloged and preserved
within a sonically sealed, security holder.

"There is no question that the historical significance and value of the coins
recovered from El Cazador have earned her a place alongside the most famous
shipwrecks of all-time such as the Atocha and S.S. Republic," Mr. Malamud
concluded.

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