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7 Mysterious Hidden Treasures

March 18, 2023

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Thanks to Interesting Facts for this:

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The Copper Scroll Treasures

Discovered in the mid-20th century, the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls represented the archaeological find of a lifetime, yet one of them points to hidden riches of even greater value. The lone manuscript written on a copper scroll, officially designated “3Q15,” reveals that around 160 tons of gold and silver are buried in 63 spots throughout modern-day Israel. Unfortunately, some of the wording in the ancient Hebrew text is a mystery to contemporary scholars, while other passages describe vague locations that are nearly impossible to pinpoint. It’s been speculated that the valuables have already been dug up by later generations of Jews or the Knights Templar (see below), though the more tantalizing possibility exists that the billions of dollars worth of gold and silver remain up for grabs.

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The Knights Templar Treasure

The Knights Templar, founded as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, wasn’t so poor in its heyday, as it loaded up its coffers through the spoils of war, donations of royal benefactors, and oversight of an extensive banking network. Unsurprisingly, the medieval military order’s wealth and influence drew the scrutiny of other powerful figures, and in 1307, King Phillip IV of France set about disbanding the order and claiming its riches. Although many of its members were arrested and executed, the Knights Templar allegedly smuggled their valuables out of Paris via hay carts or vessels. As such, its artifacts could be almost anywhere in the world, although a few collectors in recent years have pieced together what looks to be an impressive assemblage of Templar keepsakes, including a sword, libation cup, helmet, and obsidian chalice.

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The Lost City of Paititi

If the idea of secret caves and boats overflowing with gold tickles your fancy, then how about an entire city? Legend points to one such place in the Peruvian Andes, rumored to be a refuge for the Incas who escaped Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Expeditions have been trying to find Paititi for decades, but the biggest obstacle is its alleged location, in the midst of dense Amazonian growth, treacherous cliffs, and unwelcoming native tribes. In recent years, French explorer Thierry Jamin has followed clues toward an unusual “square mountain” in the Megantoni National Sanctuary of southeastern Peru, though time will tell whether this locale holds the secret city he and legions of predecessors have sought.

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The Honjo Masamune

While some treasures consist of sparkling gems, others, like the creations of 13th-century Japanese swordsmith Goro Nyudo Masamune, are one-of-kind works of craftsmanship. Masamune forged one particularly potent blade that took on the name of an early wielder, Honjo Shigenaga, and passed through generations of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan into the 19th century. However, shortly after the Honjo Masamune was named a National Treasure in 1939, the loss of World War II led to an order for the Japanese to turn over their swords, including the Tokugawas’ 700-year-old katana, to American occupiers. Sleuths have since sought to recover the priceless artifact, with some following the dead-end trail of a “Sgt. Coldy Bimore” who supposedly took possession. Others are resigned to the idea that it sits in the dusty basement or attic of an unknown veteran’s surviving family.

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Nazi Gold in Lake Toplitz

While the Japanese surrendered their treasures at the close of World War II, the Nazis supposedly hid theirs by dumping millions of dollars of gold into the Austrian Alps’ Lake Toplitz. But while rumors of the lake being a Nazi repository gained steam when counterfeit Allied currency was found submerged there in the 1960s, divers haven’t uncovered any of its alleged crates of gold. This is partly due to the difficulty of accessing the densely forested region, as well as the characteristics of the lake; frozen for much of the year, it also lacks oxygen in its deeper reaches, allowing the giant trees that fall in to remain preserved and block the path of explorers.

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The Dutch Schultz Stash

Famed gangster Dutch Schultz met his demise in a hail of gunfire at a New Jersey restaurant in October 1935, but not before delivering a stream of deathbed ramblings that reportedly included clues to a stash of loot hidden in the Catskill Mountains near Phoenicia, New York. Of course, the details of just what was squirreled away and where have changed over the years; it’s either a load of cash, jewels, or bonds, and it’s located near a sycamore … or maybe a pair of pine trees. It’s also worth considering the reliability of the source, who uttered such nuggets as, “Oh, oh; dog biscuit, and when he is happy he doesn’t get snappy,” as his life slipped away. However, the uncertainty hasn’t stopped the treasure-seekers who regularly descend on Phoenicia with the hope of uncovering what could be upwards of $50 million in mob funds.

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Blackbeard’s Treasure

No list of missing treasures would be complete without mention of a long-lost pirate trove, and this infamous buccaneer reportedly left behind a haul worthy of his formidable reputation. After nearly two years of plundering vessels in the West Indies, Blackbeard’s ship,Queen Anne’s Revenge, ran into a sandbar off North Carolina in June 1718. From there, it’s believed he transferred his valuables to other boats, leaving little sign of his haul when he was killed a few months later by a British Royal Navy force. Although Queen Anne’s Revenge was discovered in 1996, it seems the whereabouts of its captain’s big prize became a massive mystery to all except, as Blackbeard once eloquently put it, the legendary pirate himself and the devil.

Bonus:

List of Missing Treasures (thanks to Wikipedia for this):

Name	Existence	Year lost	Image	Description
Menorah from the Second Temple	Confirmed	191	Menorah from the Temple in Jerusalem depicted on a frieze on the Arch of Titus in Rome	The Menorah from the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted by the Romans in 70 AD and put on view in the Temple of Peace in Rome. The temple burned down in 191 after which the fate of the Menorah is uncertain. If it survived the fire, it could have been brought to Carthage by the Vandals after their Sack of Rome in 455, as mentioned by Procopius in the 6th century.
Alaric’s Treasure	Legend	410	—	After sacking Rome in 410, the Visigoths fled to southern Italy, in Calabria. There their king, Alaric suddenly died from illness and was buried with his treasure in an unknown river, often reported to be the Busento.
Ganj-e Badavard	Legend	circa 7th–10th c.	—	One of the eight treasures of the Sasanian king Khosrow II
Heirloom Seal of the Realm	Confirmed	circa 960	—	Imperial Seal of China created by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, lost after the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in the 10th century.
Egill Skallagrímsson‘s silver	Legend	circa 990-995	—	A large quantity of silver coinage, allegedly buried near Mosfellsbær, Iceland, when Egill was in his eighties.
Kusanagi	Legend	1185	Artist’s impressions of the Imperial Regalia of Japan	A sword and one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan that legitimize the rule of the Emperor. Lost at sea in the Battle of Dan-no-ura in the Genpei War.^[1] Current government claims possession, but has not permitted outside verification.
The original crown jewels of England	Legend	1216	—	Baggage train of King John (“John Lackland”), lost in The Wash near Sutton Bridge during the First Barons’ War.
Llywelyn’s coronet	Legend	1303	—	The coronet of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last sovereign Prince of Wales, was seized along with other holy artifacts at the end of the Conquest of Wales by Edward I, in 1284 taken to London, and kept with the crown jewels in Westminster Abbey until they were stolen in 1303. It was not present in the inventory taken during the destruction of the crown jewels by Oliver Cromwell in 1649, and remains unaccounted for.
La Noche Triste treasure	Partially Confirmed	1520	—	Large amount of gold looted from the palace of Moctezuma II. Occurred during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.^[2]
Lost Inca gold	Partially Confirmed	circa 1533	—	Originally intended as part of the ransom of Inca Emperor Atahualpa it would have been hidden once it became known that Francisco Pizarro‘s men had killed him.^[3]
Great Bell of Dhammazedi	Confirmed	1608	—	Cast in 1484 by order of King Dhammazedi of Hanthawaddy Pegu in modern day Myanmar, it is believed to be the largest bell ever cast. It hung in the Shwedagon Pagoda until 1608, when it was removed by Portuguese mercenary, and governor of Syriam (now Thanlyin) Philipe de Brito to be melted into cannons. It was rolled downhill to the Pazundaung Creek, loaded onto a raft, and hauled by elephants to the confluence of the Bago River and the Yangon River, where it was fastened to de Brito’s flagship. It sank on its way across the river to Syriam, dragging de Brito’s ship with it. Shifting river currents, several shipwrecks, and poor visibility in the muddy river has made locating the bell difficult, and it remains lost, despite several searches in modern times.^[4]^[5]
The Three Brothers	Confirmed	1645	1505 painting of the jewel	A piece of jewellery created in 1389, made of three red spinels in a distinctive triangular arrangement around a central diamond.^[6] Owned by key historical figures such as Duke John the Fearless of Burgundy, the German banker (and richest man in history) Jakob Fugger, and English monarchs Elizabeth I, James VI and I, and Charles I. Part of the English Crown Jewels from 1551 to 1644, when it was possibly sold by the wife of Charles I. It vanished from records after 1645.^[7]
Treasure of Amaro Pargo	Likely	1678–1747	Portrait of Amaro Pargo located on the canvas of the “Christ of Humility and Patience” of the Shrine of Our Lady of El Rosario in Machado (Tenerife).	The treasure would be composed of “carved silver, gold jewellery, pearls and stones of value, Chinese porcelain, rich fabrics, paintings and perhaps 500,000 pesos”.^[8] The stories about this treasure are varied, some place it in the environment of the Roques de Anaga, while others place it in the zone of Punta del Hidalgo and the cave of San Mateo, northeast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Loch Arkaig treasure	Legend	1745		The treasure of Loch Arkaig, sometimes known as the Jacobite gold, was a large amount of specie provided by Spain to finance the Jacobite rising in Scotland in 1745, and rumoured still to be hidden at Loch Arkaig in Lochaber.
Sceptre of Dagobert	Confirmed	1795	Sceptre of Dagobert.^[9]	Originally part of the French Regalia, sometimes considered its oldest part, dating from the 7th century, it was stored in the treasure of the Basilica of Saint-Denis (also known as Basilique royale de Saint-Denis) until 1795, when it disappeared, probably stolen.
Oak Island money pit	Legend	1795	—	A possible treasure trove located in a large hole on an island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.^[10]^[11]
Treasure of the Esperanza	Legend	1816	—	1.5 million gold pesos and an equal value in silver precolumbian art looted from the Viceroyalty of Peru, shipped on the Esperanza, taken and buried by pirates shipwrecked on Palmyra Atoll.^[12]
Treasure of Lima	Likely	1820	—	Gold, silver and jewellery stolen from the Spanish in 1820. The treasure is thought to be buried on Cocos Island in Costa Rica and it is estimated to be worth £160 million.^[13]
Confederate gold	Legend	circa 1865	—	Gold from the Confederacy. Lost after the American Civil War.
Twin Sisters	Confirmed	1865	Replicas featured at San Jacinto Monument	A pair of cannons used by Texas Military Forces during the Texas Revolution and American Civil War. Considered the “Texas Holy Grail.”
Tokugawa’s buried treasure	Legend	circa 1868	—	A legendary treasure allegedly buried in Mount Akagi by the Tokugawa shogunate (disputed).
Kruger Millions	Legend	1902	—	Millions of gold pounds presumed to have been produced by the Boer forces in the South African veld under order of President Paul Kruger. The money was believed to fund the purchase of weapons for the Boer Commandos. The funds went missing. Believed to have been buried or hidden somewhere in South Africa or taken by Kruger to Switzerland.
Crown Jewels of Ireland	Confirmed	1907	The Crown Jewels	Heavily bejeweled insignia of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick. Stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907.
The Tsar’s Treasure	Partially Confirmed	1909	—	$3 million in newly minted American double eagle coins sent to the Russian Baltic Fleet, an $800,000 US Government shipment in mixed coin to the American Atlantic Fleet, and the confirmed loss of $500,000 in passenger effects (all 1909 values) were lost when the RMS Republic foundered off the coast of New England as a result of a collision.
Romanian Treasure	Confirmed	1917	—	The gold reserves (approx. 120 tonnes) of the Romanian government and other valuables sent to Russia for safekeeping during World War I. These were mislaid after the October Revolution and only some of the objects, and none of the gold reserves, have been returned as of 2012.
Florentine Diamond	Confirmed	1918	Copy of the diamond	Yellow diamond with Indian origin.
Lost Imperial Fabergé eggs	Confirmed	1922 or later	The Alexander III Commemorative egg	Seven eggs in the Imperial series are missing:^[14] 1886 – The Hen with Sapphire Pendant egg (last seen 1922^[15]) 1888 – The Cherub with Chariot egg (last seen 1922, may have been exhibited in New York City in 1934^[16]) 1889 – The Nécessaire egg (sold by Wartski in 1952,^[17] has not been seen since) 1897 – The Mauve egg (photo frame ‘surprise’ still extant)^[18] 1902 – The Empire Nephrite Egg (the provenance of the “found” Nephrite egg is contested) ^[19]^[20]^[21]^[22] 1903 – The Royal Danish egg 1909 – The Alexander III Commemorative egg
The Just Judges	Confirmed	1934	Replica	Lower left panel of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, which was displayed at the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, was stolen during the night of 10 April 1934.
Dutch Schultz‘s treasure	Legend	1935		Fearing imminent incarceration, notorious Depression-era gangster Dutch Schultz was said to have buried $7 million in cash and bonds somewhere in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. He was gunned down shortly thereafter together with his associates, and as they did not disclose the location of the stash to anyone, the exact burial spot remains unknown. Treasure hunters still dig around for the loot to this day, although its existence has never been confirmed outside of gang lore.^[23]^[24]
Royal Casket	Confirmed	1939	The Royal Casket	Memorial containing 73 precious relics^[25] that had once belonged to Polish royalty. Looted by the Wehrmacht during the German invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War II.
Sword of Islam	Confirmed	1943		Ceremonial sword presented to Benito Mussolini in 1937 from Berber collaborators in Italian Libya.^[26] Disappeared in July 1943, after his summer residence was destroyed by the Italian Resistance.^[27]
Peking Man	Confirmed	1941–1945	Replica	Fossil remains of Homo erectus pekinensis; dated ~500,000 years old. Lost during World War II in China in 1941 when the U.S. Marine Corps moved them out of Japanese-occupied Beijing or may have been on the Awa Maru when it sank in 1945.^[28]
Amber Room	Confirmed	circa 1945	Reconstruction	Removed from Catherine Palace, Saint Petersburg, by Army Group North during the German invasion of the Soviet Union and transported to Königsberg, Germany. Estimated (adjusted) value: $142 million. Reconstructed in 2003.^[29]
Yamashita’s gold	Legend	circa 1945	—	War loot stolen by the Imperial Japanese Army from Southeast Asia and hidden in the Philippines. Alleged. Named for General Tomoyuki Yamashita.
Awa Maru treasure	Legend	1945	—	Gold, platinum, and diamonds worth more than $5 billion. Lost when the Japanese ship Awa Maru was torpedoed by the USS Queenfish and sank in April 1945.^[30]
Nazi gold train	Legend	1945	—	A train laden with gold and other treasures hidden by the Nazi Germans in a tunnel near Wałbrzych in Lower Silesia, Poland.
Honjō Masamune	Confirmed	1945	—	The Honjō Masamune, a legendary samurai sword, created by the master swordmaker Gorō Masamune between 1288 and 1328 AD. The sword was passed down over the centuries from Shōgun to Shōgun, and is considered a priceless Japanese cultural artifact. Lost during the U.S. occupation of Japan.
Patiala Necklace	Confirmed	circa 1948	The Patiala Necklace	Made by the House of Cartier in 1928 for Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, then Maharaja of Patiala. A necklace containing 2,930 diamonds including the world’s seventh largest diamond, the 428 carat “De Beers”, the Patiala Necklace vanished from the Royal Treasury of Patiala around 1948. Some diamonds were later recovered.
Nelson’s Chelengk	Confirmed	1951	Nelson with the Chelengk in his hat	A medal made of diamonds given to Admiral Horatio Nelson by the Ottoman Empire for his naval service in the Battle of the Nile. Placed in the National Maritime Museum in London in 1929 and stolen in 1951.
Tucker’s Cross	Confirmed	1975	—	Emerald-studded gold cross, discovered in a shipwreck in 1955 and stolen from a museum in Bermuda sometime prior to 1975, when it was discovered to have been replaced with a fake.^[31]
Lufthansa heist	Confirmed	1978	—	Cash and jewels from a robbery at Lufthansa‘s cargo terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in December 1978. With a value of about $5 million, it was the largest cash robbery in the United States at the time.^[32]
Brink’s-Mat robbery	Confirmed	1983	—	Gold bullion, diamonds, and cash valued at £26 million (worth approximately £79 million in 2015)
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist	Confirmed	1990	—	Thirteen works of art valued at $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum by two men posing as police officers. The art was mostly stolen from the museum’s Dutch Room and included pieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer.^[33]
Antwerp Diamond heist	Confirmed	2003	—	Diamonds, gold and other jewels worth $189 million. Dubbed the “heist of the century”.^[34]
Graff Diamonds robbery	Confirmed	2009	—	43 items of jewellery, stolen in London on 6 August 2009. Valued at nearly £40 million.^[35]
Ivory Coast Crown Jewels	Confirmed	2011	—	Around 80 objects were stolen from the Musée des Civilisations de Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan, including gold pendants, necklaces, masks, sculptures and religious artifacts worth an estimated $6 million.^[36]^[37]
Brussels Airport diamond heist	Confirmed	2013	—	Diamonds stolen from a Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 at Brussels Airport valued at $50 million.^[38]
Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary	Confirmed	2015	—	Safe deposit facility burgled in London, total stolen could have been up to £200 million.
Dresden Green Vault heist	Confirmed	2019	—	Diamond jewellery sets, a sword with a diamond-encrusted handle, several shoe buckles and buttons made of diamonds, and parts of a diamond necklace belonging to Queen Amalie Auguste from 1824. Valued at nearly €1 billion.