But archaeologists are set to recover another massive Blackbeard artefact after setting sail to pull up the anchor from his legendary ship the Queen Anne's Revenge.
Research teams off the North Carolina coast where the ship sank will attempt to pull the enormous 13ft anchor to the surface on an expedition to start next week.
The capture of sword-wielding Blackbeard in 1718 as depicted by American artist Jean-Leon Gerome Ferris
Fearsome: Ian McShane will play legendary pirate Blackbeard in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film
Legendary vessel: Blackbeard's ship the Queen Anne's Revenge has been heavily excavated over the past 14 years
The Queen Anne's Revenge was the infamous vessel commanded by English outlaw Blackbeard - who roamed the seas in the early 18th century and wore lit fuses under his hat to frighten his enemies.
14 YEARS OF DISCOVERIES
Experts have found an array of fascinating artefacts from Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge wreckage since 1996.
Archeologists have recovered onion bottles, two bells of Spanish or Portuguese origin a coin weight with Queen Anne's likeness stamped on it, buckles, glass beads, buttons, cuff links, pieces of wine glasses, a syringe, gold flakes, among others.
The same team are said to have also found 11 cannons from the pirate ship, including one in 2005 and another in 2007.
Another rare find was a partly gilded hilt thought to have held the sword of Blackbeard himself.
Archeologists have recovered onion bottles, two bells of Spanish or Portuguese origin a coin weight with Queen Anne's likeness stamped on it, buckles, glass beads, buttons, cuff links, pieces of wine glasses, a syringe, gold flakes, among others.
The same team are said to have also found 11 cannons from the pirate ship, including one in 2005 and another in 2007.
Another rare find was a partly gilded hilt thought to have held the sword of Blackbeard himself.
The latest franchise installment - Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides, sees Ian McShane play the legendary pirate alongside Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz.
Named after his flowing black beard, Blackbeard - whose real name is thought to be Edward Teach or Thatch - operated around the West Indies and the east coast of the American colonies.
In 1717, he captured a French slave ship and renamed it Queen Anne's Revenge.
Although Blackbeard's career lasted only two years, he was the world's most feared pirate and once held hostage the entire city of Charleston, South Carolina.
Blackbeard settled in Bath, North Carolina, where he eventually received a governor's pardon.
Some experts say he grew bored and returned to piracy.
He was killed by volunteers from the British Royal Navy in November 1718, five months after the ship thought to be Queen Anne's Revenge sank.
After running aground on a sandbar in 1718 near the town of Beaufort, North Carolina, the ship was abandoned but probably remained intact for as long as a year before collapsing and disintegrating.
Site: The Queen Anne's Revenge ran aground near Beaufort, North Carolina in 1718 but stayed intact for a year before eventually disintegrating and collapsing
Notorious: Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge ship has been excavated off the North Carolina coast since 1996
Recovery: Experts raised a six foot-long cannon from wreckage of the Queen Anne's Revenge in 2005
Rare find: A pewter syringe discovered in 2007 is among other centuries-old items found in the Queen Anne's Revenge wreckage
Team effort: Another cannon was raised from the seabed wreckage in October 2007 near Morehead City, North Carolina
'The historic and economic value of this project is enormous.'
Next week's planned recovery has been described as an 'archeologist's dream come true.'
The Queen Anne's Revenge shipwreck site, located off North Carolina's coast, has yielded more than 250,000 artifacts and is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
Experts have been excavating the ship for 14 years since the area was located in 1996 by Florida company Intersal, Inc.
Mark Wilde-Ramsing, a deputy state archaeologist, said the anchor is believed to be the second biggest on the site, measuring about 13ft long with arms 8ft wide and weighing about 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg).
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