One controversial case relating to marine archaeology in Nova Scotia was that of . "Fantome" was a British Royal Navy brig in the War of 1812, which sank off the coast of Nova Scotia, near Prospect, in November 1814. Treasure hunters claimed that the ship was carrying cargo taken from the British raid on the White House on August 24, 1814 and that Presidential silverware may be entombed in the wreck, leading some American citizens to call for repatriation. However "Fantome" played no part in the Washington raid and historical research shows "Fantome" was carrying goods and customs revenue from British-occupied Castine, Maine. This issue was also controversial because of the recovery methods used by the company given license to the wreck, who employed the same conservator and underwater archaeologist as the project, a recovery which has been criticized for its “crude recovery techniques”.