What is the most valuable treasure ever found?
Verdict summary
Among the most valuable treasures ever recovered are shipwreck cargoes: the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, found off Florida by Mel Fisher's team in 1985, and the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes coins recovered by Odyssey Marine in 2007 and returned to Spain after a court case. The San José galleon off Colombia, found in 2015, may be worth more but its cargo has not been recovered.
Values quoted for treasure are often estimates made for publicity, so treat any single figure with caution.
On land, the most significant amateur finds include England's Staffordshire Hoard (2009), found by a metal detectorist.
Sources: Court records of the Odyssey Marine v. Spain case; Florida and Colombian government announcements.
What famous treasures are still unfound? Famous treasures still unfound include the Amber Room (lost in 1945), the Lost Dutchman Mine in Arizona, the Beale treasure in Virginia, the Oak Island money pit in Nova Scotia, the Treasure of Lima, Paititi (the lost Inca city of gold) and the Kruger millions in South Africa. Many rest on a single late retelling, so some may never have existed.
What is the biggest metal detecting find ever? Some of the biggest metal detecting finds are in England: the Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver (2009), the Hoxne Hoard of Roman gold and silver (1992) and the Frome Hoard of about 52,000 Roman coins (2010). In Australia, the Hand of Faith, one of the largest gold nuggets found with a detector, was found near Kingower, Victoria, in 1980.
Primary sources cited
- Court records of the Odyssey Marine v. Spain case
- Florida and Colombian government announcements