In January of 1702, a huge minting of special silver rupees took place in Surat, India.
They were destined for the Orient to purchase exotic silks and furnishings for the Taj Mahal palace. They were loaded on a 24-gun muslim trader and set sail via the Spice Route. As the ship rounded the southeastern tip of Ceylon, a typhoon engulfed her and slammed her against Great Basses Reef. The ship, the treasure and all hands were lost for the next 250 years.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, later to author 2001-A Space Odyssey, settled in Sri Lanka in 1956. While skin-diving for a movie location in 1961, Dr. Clarke and his team of divers discovered cannons and silver coins on the bottom. With the assistance of Dr. Mendel Peterson of the Smithsonian Institute the wreck was soon identified. During the next two years, extensive and dangerous salvage efforts yielded numerous priceless artifacts and more than 8,000 coins.

Captain Carl Fismer and his Spanish Main Treasure Company later acquired 1500 silver rupees for display at the Caribbean Shipwreck Museum in Key Largo, Florida, where Capt. Carl was curator. This arrangement pleased Sir Arthur, who was delighted that the treasure could now be viewed by the public rather than locked in a bank vault. It was at this time that the friendship between Sir Arthur and "Fizz" began to develop. Here they are seen with part of the fabulous collection of rupees.

1992 and Captain Carl joined Sir Arthur in Sri Lanka to film several documentaries relating to the treasure and its salvage. The result of the expedition was the documentary, Arthur C. Clarke-Before 2001: The True Life Story of the Taj Mahal Treasure.