See full version: The 5 Largest Treasures Ever Found
Pirates and gold seem to go hand and hand. This was true for the Whydah Galley, a pirate ship captained by a rich pirate named “Black Sam”. A former slave, Black Sam roamed the seas, taking what he wanted, when he wanted it. All of that amounted to one of the biggest sunken treasure treasure finds: $400 million worth of gold and jewels. We may be just be in the wrong business! here
King Tut’s Tomb more
Venus de Milo
The Roman City of Pompeii [links]
King Tutankhamen, or King Tut, had been a legend long before his tomb was found. That changed in 1922 when one British archaeologist finally broke open the seal and revealed the tomb for the first time (or so he thought) in over 3,000 years. Although the tomb had been robbed twice before its modern discovery, it still contained a large amount of valuable items. No word yet on how many curses there were inside, however. here
Spanish galleon, Nuestra Senora de Atocha was heading back to Spain when it was caught in a hurricane off the coast of Key West in 1622. Many ships perished in the hurricane, all of which were carrying an enormous cargo of gold, silver, and gems. [links]
8. The Boot of Cortez : Caborca, Mexico here
Apparently, back in 1216, when King John was travelling, he got stuck and lost his crown along with some gold and money in the mud of Fens. here
4. Thracian Treasure: Panagyurishte, Bulgaria more
When a Portuguese frigate set sail from Malaysia in 1511, it got caught in a storm and lost all the treasure which has never been found. here
This treasure was found in 2016 and included a bronze lamp, a statue of moon goddess Luna and coins depicting Constantine, the first Christian emperor. here
Brothers Pavel, Petko, and Michail Deikov were digging for clay at a tile factory near Panagyurishte, Bulgaria, when one of them stumbled across what he thought was a strange whistle. Further digging uncovered more objects, and when the brothers took their finds to the mayor’s office, they found that they were made of gold—and there were a lot more where they came from.
Back in 1985, an old building in the Polish town of Środa Śląska was being demolished ahead of renovation works when a vase was found beneath the foundation. Inside were more than 3000 silver coins, dating back to the 14th century.
Found: 2015
Value: Priceless [links]
The hoard was bought by the British Museum, though it was so valuable the museum had to call in funds from donors like the National Art Collections fund to afford it. As for the errant hammer? That’s now in the British Museum, too. [links]
Scuba divers exploring the seabed near the harbor of Caesarea National Park, Israel, thought they’d stumbled across a child’s toy when they found the first gold coin. But when they saw how many coins there were, and looked more closely at the engravings on them, they realized they’d found something pretty significant.
Found: 1985–1988
Value: Approximately $120 million here
The Hanuman Dhoka, Kathmandu's royal palace, was hit by an Earthquake in 2015, and according to Lonely Planet, the damage done to the structure was substantial. But four years before this incident, the palace made headlines for another reason; a treasure that was uncovered. more
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha was a Spanish vessel that sank to the ocean floor during a hurricane in the Florida Keys in 1622, The Guardian reports. The ship had been headed back to Spain and was carrying an impressive treasure of various pieces, including gold bars.
Although it remains unfound, that hasn’t stopped people from looking, and has resulted in tragedy for some, Daily Mail notes. more
Not all treasures that exist have been found, and some, like art dealer Forrest Fenn’s treasure, are still shrouded in mystery. According to All That’s Interesting, a poem in Fenn’s memoir, The Thrill of the Chase, hinted at the location of where he buried his treasure (a small chest of collectibles) in the Rocky Mountains. more