IN Lately There has been more and more news about finds or the discovery of huge treasures, having tried to collect all the most valuable ones, I propose to look at them and partially remember how it was.
Last year, one of the largest treasures in human history was discovered in an Indian temple. According to experts, the treasures walled up in the lower tiers of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple account for 6% of India's total gold and foreign exchange reserves, that is, about $22 billion.
The guardians of the temple, built in the Indian state of Kerala, began filling six underground vaults with donations back in the 14th century, and in the 18th century it was decided to carefully wall up the caches.
Two years ago it was found in the UK large treasure coins of the Roman Empire weighing more than 160 kg. The bronze coins were kept in a clay jug, which was located only under a 30-centimeter layer of soil and was discovered by an amateur treasure hunter. According to experts, the jug with coins was intended as a sacrifice to the gods.
Gold and jewels in Staffordshire, Anglo-Saxon Hoard, 2009.
In 2009, in Staffordshire, amateur archaeologist Terry Herbert unearthed a treasure dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. In total it consisted of five kilograms of gold, about three kilograms of silver and precious stones.
Among the items found were gold brooches, armor and swords, dishes and religious utensils. The treasure hunter stumbled upon the treasure while exploring the territory of his friend's farm with a metal detector. Under the ground there were more than 1,500 various objects that could belong to representatives of the Anglo-Saxon elite.
One of the largest treasures in history was found this year on the island of Jersey in the English Channel. Amateur archaeologists discovered a cache whose total weight of valuables was more than 700 kg. According to scientists, the treasure is more than 2000 years old and could have been hidden by Celtic tribes fleeing the troops of Julius Caesar.
Metal products were compacted so tightly over 2000 years that they turned into one huge ingot, the cost of which, according to different estimates, ranges from $5 million to $17 million.
A collection of unique coins, the total value of which can reach several million euros, was found among the books of a state library in one of the towns of Lower Bavaria. The cleaning lady discovered a box containing a collection of Greek, Roman, Byzantine coins, as well as French coins from the era of Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to one version, the collection was hidden in 1803 from the authorities, who confiscated coins and books stored in monasteries for the benefit of the state.
In 1981, the largest deep-sea operation to recover gold from the sunken English cruiser Edinburgh was carried out in the Barents Sea. At the end of April 1942, the cruiser left Murmansk for England with 5.5 tons of gold on board, but, having received damage from German warships, was scuttled by order of the captain. Only in 1980 did English experts determine the exact location of the ship, and in September 1981, most of the gold bars were raised to the surface. Several ingots were never found.
17 tons of silver at a depth of 2.5 km, 2011.
About 17 tons of silver were discovered on board a British ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The Mantola was wrecked in 1917 by the German submarine U-81. According to experts, the value of the treasure exceeds $19 million.
In 1985, after 15 years of searching, the legendary treasures of the Spanish galleon Atocha, which was wrecked in 1622 due to a storm off the coast of Florida, were found. The raised wealth was estimated at more than $400 million, among them were 200 gold and about a thousand silver bars, jewelry, gold chains and a whole arsenal of weapons from the 17th century.
The treasure was found by one of the most famous treasure hunters, Barry Clifford, just a few hundred meters from Cape Cod Beach on the Florida coast. He discovered the wreck of the pirate galley Whydah, from which he recovered about five tons of various valuables.
Total price found exceeded $15 million: before crashing on the coastal reefs, the pirates robbed more than fifty ships.
Fresh from the bottom Atlantic Ocean About 48 tons of silver were recovered - this is the largest cargo of precious metal ever discovered in the depths of the sea. Treasure worth approximately $38 million was found on board the ship Gersoppa off the coast of Ireland. This military transport ship sank in 1941 after a German attack. submarines.
The remains of a British freighter sunk by the Nazis during World War II have been discovered off the northeast coast. South America. The value of the find was that the ship was carrying a large cargo of gold, platinum and diamonds intended to replenish the US treasury.
The name of the vessel was not disclosed; it was conventionally called Blue Baron. The ship was wrecked in June 1942.
In May 2007, Odyssey Marine Exploration, a company specializing in the search for marine treasures, announced the discovery of a sunken ship with 500,000 gold and silver coins on board. The treasure was recovered and transported to the United States, but the company never said who owned the sunken ship or where exactly it was found.
Last year, the American treasure hunting organization Deep Blue Marine discovered treasure in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of the Dominican Republic. In the 16th century, a shipwreck occurred at this site. Divers found 700 ancient coins, the value of which could reach millions of dollars, ancient figurines and an unusual mirror stone that could be used in shamanic rituals.
In February 2012, the famous US treasure hunter Greg Brooks discovered the sunken British ship Port Nicholson, which in 1942 never brought platinum bars from the USSR to New York. The ship was sunk by a German submarine. Its cargo was intended to be calculated Soviet Union with the US government for supplies of ammunition to the allies, military equipment and food.
Based on materials from razvlekis.net
As is becoming increasingly known, the number of treasures found in our century has increased significantly. Moreover, the number of treasures has increased by an order of magnitude, which can be called huge without exaggeration. Let's try to look at these finds and make a kind of ranking of the largest treasures that were found in our modern times.
Year 2012, Russia, famous Naryshkin treasure
Interesting news from March last year was the information that circulated in the media that during the restoration of the ancient mansion of the Naryshkin family, a treasure was discovered. The cache was found during restoration work in the house. One of the workers, while manipulating the wall, suddenly fell into a secret room, which turned out to be filled with boxes and bags. This find, after it was described and evaluated, amounted to 2168 items. This is one of the largest and most valuable treasures ever found in Russia. The Naryshkins' treasure included five almost complete silver sets, of which the ceremonial table service of more than two hundred items from the famous Sazikov company stands out. On these items self made there are hallmarks of iconic domestic jewelers from the latest thirds of the XIX up to the 20th century. These works were carried out by such celebrities as Sazikov, the famous Ovchinnikov and Khlebnikov, and the famous jewelers the Grachev brothers. The treasure also contains items from Faberge and Keibel. Silver items from European, in particular French, masters were also found. The cache also contained expensive military orders, valuable medals with memorial signs, award documents, stunningly beautiful jewelry, watches and toiletries. Unique silverware, as well as several small Easter pendants. Moreover, some of these items were in historical cases. This treasure was formed by the Naryshkin family itself at a time when they wanted to protect their family heirlooms from looting. It is noteworthy that newspapers dating back to 1917 were found in the cache. You can guess for yourself what the Naryshkins were so afraid of.
Year 2012, Great Britain, 700 kg of treasures
Also noteworthy is one of the largest treasures in European history, which was discovered by amateur treasure hunters on the island of Jersey. After evaluation and recalculation, the weight of tens of thousands of gold and silver coins extracted from the cache amounted to almost a ton. Experts estimate this find to be more than two thousand years old. These coins, which were only discovered in this century, date back to around 50 BC. They were in circulation among one of the Celtic Coriosolite tribes that inhabited the northern territories of the modern province of Brittany. Scientists believe that this amount of money, incredible even by our times, was hidden by the French Celts on the island of Jersey just before the Roman invasion. As you know, back in the middle of the 1st century BC, the merciless legionnaires of Julius Caesar conquered these lands, conquering various tribes of the Gauls.
Researchers are still finding it difficult to determine the exact number of rare coins. The fact is that centuries have mixed metal with clay, and it compacted so tightly that it creates the feeling of a huge ingot. Experts have tentatively calculated that this figure could be from 30 to 50 thousand coins. And numismatists claim that the approximate price of each such coin can reach 1-2 hundred pounds sterling. It is easy to calculate that the total approximate cost of this lump of clay with ancient coins can range from 5 to 16.5 million dollars.
Year 2012, shores of Ireland, ship with 48 tons of silver in the hold
Relatively recently, approximately 48 tons of silver were recovered completely by accident from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. And this is by far the largest cargo of precious metal ever discovered in the depths of the sea. This incredible treasure, worth about $38 million, was found on board a ship called the Gersoppa, just off the coast of Ireland. Believe it or not, this is not a Spanish galleon, but a military transport ship that sank back in 1941 after receiving a critical torpedo hit from an attack by German submarines.
Year 2011, India, treasury in the temple
In 2011, the most fantastic treasure in the history of mankind was discovered in an Indian temple that had stood for several centuries. Like in a detective story or ancient fairy tale, Hindu monks hid the secret of centuries that in the lower tiers of the temple there is a treasury, hidden from the eyes of curious passers-by and townspeople. Incredibly, but apparently the people who kept the secret of the temple treasury did not survive and did not have time to pass on this information to any of the modern descendants. In the Padmanabhaswamy temple, in its lower tiers, there were countless treasures, both in ancient times and today, constituting enormous wealth. According to experts, the coins, jewelry and valuables stored there, in terms of modern money, amount to about 6% of India's current gold and foreign exchange fund. And in numbers this is approximately 22 billion dollars. After investigation, it turned out that initially the custodians of this Kerala temple had been saving their wealth for a very long time. The treasury was replenished with donations, according to preliminary data, dating back to the 14th century. But everything was forgotten because in the 18th century the monks decided to wall up these hiding places.
Year 2011, Germany, coin collection
An interesting collection of coins, the preliminary value of which may well reach several million in euros, was once discovered right among the books in the state library of one of the towns in Lower Bavaria. While doing her regular work, the cleaning lady unexpectedly discovered a box. This box contained a real treasure, a whole collection of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and even French coins from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Scientists have put forward a version according to which this collection of coins was hidden from the authorities back in 1803. At that time, money and books were confiscated from monasteries for the benefit of the state.
Year 2010, Great Britain, treasure of Roman coins
It's been two years since they found it in the UK big treasure coins from the Roman Empire. The weight of this treasure was about 160 kilograms. The coins were made of bronze, and were placed in a clay jar, which was hidden under a 30 centimeter layer of earth. It was found by an amateur treasure hunter. As historians have suggested, this jug with ancient coins was intended as a tribute to the gods.
Many treasures have been found in the world. The most interesting and valuable for collectors are those treasures that contained ancient coins. Where else can you feel the real breath of history? It is worth noting that huge and valuable treasures were found by treasure hunters and simply ordinary people and in Russia. The finder is entitled to a certain percentage of the find, 25%, everything else is supposed to be transferred to the state, as cultural heritage Russia. But for those who have found the largest treasures in Russia, the funds received will be enough for a comfortable life not only for themselves, but also for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Interesting
The largest treasure in the world was discovered in India. It consisted of a huge number of gold coins and large ingots, the total weight of everything found was approximately two tons.
There were also several large containers filled to the brim with diamonds; all this splendor was completed by a necklace of diamonds a full five and a half meters long. But scientists do not consider this to be the most remarkable and valuable find. What struck those who found it most was the beautiful statue of the god Vishu, cast entirely from the purest gold. Its height is 1.2 meters.
A considerable treasure was also found in Great Britain. Its total mass was 70 kg, it was discovered on the distant island of Jersey. The find is notable for being very ancient: historians have collectively estimated its age at 2,000 years.
The treasure consisted of gold and silver coins. Data banknotes were in circulation among one of the Celtic Coriosolite tribes, who inhabited the territories in the north of the province that currently bears the name Brittany. Experts believe that such a mass of money, unimaginable even by today’s standards, was hidden by the French Celts on this island immediately before the attack of Rome; its legionnaires in the 1st century. BC e. developed these lands, and at the same time conquered different tribes of the Gauls.
Not very long ago, 4 years ago, a happy accident happened. The ship managed to recover an incredible treasure from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, its mass was about 48 tons of pure silver. This is today the largest cargo of precious metal found in the depths of the ocean. Its cost is incredibly huge and is approximately 38 million dollars! The ship, which had such a unique chance to remain in history, was called “Gersoppa”; it was located almost next to the shores of Ireland. The jewelry was not on a pirate ship, as one might first think, but on a simple military transport ship. This ship sank back in 1941 as a result of an irreparable torpedo strike by German troops.
The largest treasures in Russia
Russia also boasts beautiful and indeed very valuable finds worth several million dollars. The largest treasure in the history of Russia is the sensational treasure of the Naryshkins. It was found in 2012 by an ordinary worker who was then restoring the beautiful mansion of this fabulously wealthy family.
This man simply fell into a secret room in which all kinds of bags and boxes were placed. When describing the find, it became known that there were a total of 2,168 items there. This famous find included 5 almost complete sets of silver, where the ceremonial table service, which included more than 200 copies of the famous Sazikov company, especially stood out. There were even items from Faberge and Keibel in the jewelry found. This incredible treasure is estimated by experts at $4 million, or 189 million rubles.
The treasure found by parishioners of the Church of the Archangel Michael, which at that time was under restoration, is also very famous in history. The temple is located in the village of Yusovo. Apparently, the royal coins and three military medals found by parishioners were the savings of this church, consisting of donations from Christians. Most likely, they had to be hidden in 1914, but despite the age of the coins, they were perfectly preserved; there was practically no corrosion on the found specimens.
Interesting
Among the coins, the oldest dates back to 1736, and the newest of them belong to kopecks from 1914. The denomination of the coins is small; the largest denomination is one ruble.
There are not many silver coins, only 716 pieces, the rest are smelted from ordinary copper. The copies are very worn out; on others you can’t even see what kind of coin it is. Parishioners are going to spend the reward for the find on further restoration of the church.
Another discovery near the church is also known. This church treasure was found in Vologda and was considered the largest, it was found in 1951. The treasures were accidentally discovered by workers who broke the basement wall of the Church of St. George on Navolok. When the wall was broken, a flood of 17th-century silver coins literally poured out onto the people. The coins turned out to be pennies, their total number was immediately 46 thousand copies.
How does the search for treasure happen?
Searching for treasures is impossible without one very important and necessary thing, a metal detector. Now they are constantly improving and are already able to not only sense metal and give a signal, but also show a number that indicates a certain type of metal. The device can also show the depth at which a metal object is located and even the expected size of the future find! Some of them even know how to identify gold nuggets and distinguish them from the rest.
In order to start searching for treasure, you need to be properly prepared. To begin with, you should go to a good, large library and carefully study old reference books and maps. Using them you can determine the place where you can find the treasure. After choosing, you need to find this place in Russia, and, if you’re lucky, dig up a real treasure there.
There will also be a lot of work at home with the items found. Firstly, everything that can be cleaned must be put in order, only with extreme caution so as not to damage it. Then, using special catalogs and reference books, it is necessary to determine what exactly was found, whether it is a valuable thing or just a trinket.
People have never given up the desire to find ancient treasures. While many have dedicated their entire lives to searching for gold without finding it, others have stumbled upon ancient treasures completely by accident. Many of these stories have happy endings, with priceless gold treasures now residing in museums, while others say people are desecrating and looting graves in the black market antiquities trade. Here we look at ten of the most spectacular gold treasures of the ancient world.
"Nuestra Señora de Atocha", treasures at the bottom of the sea. Florida, USA
A flotilla of twenty ships left the port of Havana on the island of Cuba en route to Spain on September 4, 1622. These ships carried the wealth of the empire, carrying soldiers, passengers and slaves. The next day, as the ships entered the Strait of Florida, a hurricane began. Eight ships sank.
The galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha (Our Lady of Atocha) was among them. It carried treasures from Colombia, Peru and other regions of South America: 24 tons of silver in 1038 bars, 18,000 silver coins, 82 copper bars, 125 gold bars, 525 bales of tobacco, 20 bronze cannons, etc. Spanish archaeologists searched for the "Nuestra Señora de Atocha" for 60 years but never found it.
The ship was discovered in July 1985 by treasure diver Mel Fisher, who spent 16 years searching for the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, starting in 1969. Treasures and artifacts worth nearly half a billion dollars have been brought to the surface, the largest discovery ever made. Artifacts from the Atocha are now part of the collection of the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum in Florida.
Bronze Age treasures from Bush Barrow burial near Stonehenge, England
In 1808, William Cunnington, one of Britain's first professional archaeologists, discovered what became known as the crown jewels of the "King of Stonehenge". They were found in a large mound located just 800 m from Stonehenge, in the town of Bush Barrow. In the 4,000-year-old mound, Cunnington found jewelry, a gold diamond clasp and an intricately decorated dagger.
The dagger's handle is decorated with approximately 140,000 tiny gold pins, only a third of a millimeter wide, made from extremely thin gold wire that is slightly thicker than a human hair. The end of the wire was flattened and cut to make a hairpin. This delicate procedure was repeated tens of thousands of times. Tiny holes were made in the handle of the dagger to secure the pins using tree resin. It is believed that the entire process of creating the dagger's handle took about 2,500 hours.
Treasures of Malagan in Colombia: gold and greed
In 1992, a sugarcane farm employee was working on a tractor in Hacienda Malagana, in the Cauca Valley. Suddenly the ground gave way, and he and the tractor fell into the resulting hole. The worker noticed shiny gold objects in the dirt. Upon closer inspection, he realized that he had found a huge treasure. He spoke about the treasures he found, including gold masks, armbands, jewelry and other precious relics. Soon other workers joined him and local residents, having learned about the treasures buried in the fields, a mad looting began. Between October 1992 and December, approximately 5,000 people are said to have come in search of treasure in what has been described as the "Malagan Gold Rush".
Almost four tons of pre-Columbian artifacts were stolen, melted down or sold to collectors. Hundreds of graves were destroyed and looted. The Museo del Oro in Bogota reportedly acquired some of the stolen gold artifacts in late 1992. About 150 gold objects were eventually bought by the museum from looters for 500 million pesos ($300,000) in an attempt to preserve the artifacts. Unfortunately, robberies continue at Hacienda Malagana, with several incidents reported in 2012.
Eberswalde treasure: golden treasury from the Bronze Age, Germany
The Eberswalde treasure was discovered in 1913 during excavations in an area northeast of Berlin. This treasure is one of the most priceless treasuries in the country, it is the largest prehistoric collection of gold objects in Germany. The treasure consists of 81 items, including 60 gold spiral bracelets, eight gold bowls and a gold ingot. The total weight of these artifacts is 2.6 kg. They date back to the 10th-11th centuries.
The purpose of the Eberswalde hoard is unknown, although one scholar has suggested that it was sacred objects, as vases were the most common type of sacred offering in the Bronze Age. All artifacts are believed to be Villena style jewelry due to their similarity to the Villena treasures of the Iberian Peninsula. The treasure is currently in Russia and Germany is trying to return it.
Treasures of Priam: gold of the legendary Troy, Türkiye
In the 19th century, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann began searching for the legendary city of Troy to prove that it really existed. His research was marked by success and the Hizarlik hills in Turkey, where Schliemann conducted excavations, are today recognized as the site of ancient Troy. Among his finds were treasures that, according to Schliemann, belonged to the Trojan king Priam.
On May 31, 1873, Schliemann found the precious treasure that he had been looking for for a long time. According to him, he accidentally stumbled upon the “Treasure of Priam” - while digging a trench on the southwestern side of the site, something flashed in the soil.
The remarkable find included weapons, a copper cauldron, a bronze saucepan, a bronze teapot and many gold and silver items, including a gold headdress, necklaces, earrings and gold armbands. Currently, Priam's treasures are in Russia.
After finding the location of the legendary Troy, Schliemann discovered the final resting place of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae who led the Greek army during Trojan War. Schliemann made an impressive discovery - the golden mask of Agamemnon.
In 1876, Schliemann began excavations at Mycenae under the auspices of the Greek Archaeological Society. Schliemann's workers excavated a stele marking a burial 27.5 meters across that included 5 Bronze Age graves. Excavations have shown that they contained the remains of several Mycenaean chiefs, five of whom wore golden masks. In a telegram to King George of Greece, Schliemann proudly declared: “With great joy I announce to Your Majesty that I have discovered tombs in which, according to the description of Pausanias, Agamemnon, Cassandra, Eurymedon and their comrades are buried, killed at the feast of Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus.”
Schliemann claimed that one of the remains belonged to Agamemnon, therefore golden mask was called "The Mask of Agamemnon". It was death mask, made from sheet gold by hammering. Of the five golden masks, this was the only one that depicted a bearded man, so Schliemann concluded that it belonged to Agamemnon. However, scientists are still arguing about this.
Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon gold hoard, England
On July 5, 2009, amateur treasure hunter Terry Herbert was using a metal detector to explore farmland in the village of Hammerwich in Staffordshire when his metal detector signaled that he had found a metal object. Herbert started digging and found gold. Over five days, Herbert filled 244 bags with gold objects dug from the soil. He realized that this place could be big historical meaning, and contacted local authorities authorities. Archaeologists from Birmingham Archeology soon began excavations at the site and found more than 3,500 objects, including 5 kg of gold and 1.3 kg of silver. This is the largest known treasure of Anglo-Saxon gold.
Some of the items from the treasure were exhibited at the Birmingham Museum and art gallery, Their cost is £3.3 million (approximately $5.4 million). Most researchers agree that all artifacts belong to XVII century, although it is not yet known when they were actually buried and for what purpose.
Man from Varna, rich grave 5th millennium BC, Bulgaria
In 1970, archaeologists in Bulgaria discovered a huge Chalcolithic necropolis containing gold artifacts first discovered near modern-day Varna. Only after excavating burial No. 43 did they understand the real significance of the find. Inside the burial were the remains of a tall man social status and unfathomable riches - there was more gold there than was found in the rest of the world during that period.
The Varna culture arose on the Black Sea coast about 7,000 years ago, in the territory of modern Bulgaria. It was an advanced civilization and the first known culture to create gold artifacts.
The first evidence ancient civilization Varna were tools, vessels, dishes and figurines made of stone, flint, bone and clay. The incredible and accidental discovery was reported in newspapers around the world. In October 1972, excavator operator Raicho Marinov stumbled upon a huge Chalcolithic necropolis containing untold gold treasures. More than 300 graves were discovered in the necropolis, 22,000 exquisite artifacts, including 3,000 gold objects weighing a total of 6 kilograms, as well as stone tools, jewelry, Mediterranean mollusk shells, ceramics, knives and beads.
Secret storage room in a Scythian burial mound. Use of drugs in rituals. Russia
In 2013, gold artifacts containing traces of cannabis and opium were discovered in a secret room hidden in an ancient Scythian burial mound near Stavropol. Called the discovery of the century, the gold artifacts and drugs point to ancient rituals described by Greek historian Herodotus.
The Scythian mound was discovered during the construction of a power line in the Caucasus Mountains, southern Russia. It was established that the mound was plundered, however, archaeologists discovered hidden camera, built approximately 2,400 years ago, containing gold objects weighing more than three kilograms. Among them are two vessels, rings, necklaces, bracelets and three gold cups. The vessels are richly decorated with embossing depicting highly detailed dramatic scenes battle, animals and people.
Criminologists analyzed the black residue found on the walls of the gold vessels. The results confirmed that it was opium and hashish, so the researchers concluded that the Scythians performed rituals using drugs, as Herodotus reported.
Treasures from the tomb of a warrior priest in Sipan, Peru
In 1987, a huge complex of tombs was discovered during archaeological excavations in Huaca Rajada, near the village of Sipan on the northern coast of Peru. The most famous of the graves belonged to El Señor de Sipan, a Moche warrior-priest who was buried among dazzling treasures unlike any other burial site in the region.
At the center of the 5 by 5 meter tomb was a wooden sarcophagus - the first of its kind found in the Americas. It contained the remains of a man dressed in rich royal robes, surrounded by many gifts that were supposed to accompany him into the afterlife. Analysis of the iconographic images found in the tomb suggests that this man was a warrior-priest and a prominent ruler of the Lambayeque Valley.
The coffin contained jewelry made of gold, silver and copper, including a headdress with a huge crescent moon and a plume of feathers, masks, glass beads, necklaces, rings, earrings, a golden scepter, plates of gilded metal sewn to cotton fabric, and also trapezoidal sheets of hammered gold that warriors attached to the back of their costumes. The necklaces were made of gold and silver in the shape of peanuts, an important food item for the Moche people.
Ten golden peanut kernels made of gold, signifying masculinity and the sun god, were on right side, and ten silver cores on the left side, representing femininity and the moon god. In addition, the tomb contained many ceremonial items such as tropical sea shells, silver and gold rattles, knives, a gold death mask, gold bells, and three other beaded headdresses. In total, the tomb contained more than 450 gold, silver, copper and other objects.
July 23rd, 2012
Treasures, treasure islands, chests in the ground, coins in the walls - these topics constantly excite the minds of people, from youth to retirement :-)
Let's look at the most expensive treasures found in our time...
The American Odyssey Marine Exploration recently reported that the expedition managed to recover almost 48 tons of silver from a military transport ship that sank in 1941 300 nautical miles from the city of Galway in Ireland. The ship sank in February 1941; out of 85 crew members, only one managed to escape. Since then it has lain at a depth of 4.7 km.
Among the gold, diamonds and other treasures that were found in last years treasure hunters, 48 tons of silver recovered from the bottom of the sea off the coast of Ireland is far from a record.
“Naryshkin Silver” in St. Petersburg, 2012
In March of this year in St. Petersburg, during the restoration of the ancient Trubetskoy-Naryshkin mansion, workers came across a walled-up room filled with silverware. Most of the devices bore the Naryshkin family coat of arms, and the items themselves were in perfect condition - since 1917 they had been waiting in the wings, carefully wrapped in newspapers and linen cloth soaked in vinegar, which prevented the silver from oxidizing.
$22 billion in Indian temple, 2011
Last year, one of the largest treasures in human history was discovered in an Indian temple. According to experts, the treasures walled up in the lower tiers of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple account for 6% of India's total gold and foreign exchange reserves, that is, about $22 billion.
The guardians of the temple, built in the Indian state of Kerala, began filling six underground vaults with donations back in the 14th century, and in the 18th century it was decided to carefully wall up the caches.
One and a half hundredweight of Roman coins, 2010
Two years ago, a large treasure trove of Roman Empire coins weighing more than 160 kg was found in Great Britain. The bronze coins were kept in a clay jug, which was located only under a 30-centimeter layer of soil and was discovered by an amateur treasure hunter. According to experts, the jug with coins was intended as a sacrifice to the gods.
Gold and jewels in Staffordshire, 2009
In 2009, in Staffordshire, amateur archaeologist Terry Herbert unearthed a treasure dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. In total, it consisted of five kilograms of gold, about three kilograms of silver and precious stones.
Among the items found were gold brooches, armor and swords, dishes and religious utensils. The treasure hunter stumbled upon the treasure while exploring the territory of his friend's farm with a metal detector. Under the ground there were more than 1,500 various objects that could belong to representatives of the Anglo-Saxon elite.
Treasure hidden from Caesar, 2012
One of the largest treasures in history was found this year on the island of Jersey in the English Channel. Amateur archaeologists discovered a cache whose total weight of valuables was more than 700 kg. According to scientists, the treasure is more than 2000 years old and could have been hidden by Celtic tribes fleeing the troops of Julius Caesar.
The metal products packed together so tightly over 2,000 years that they turned into one huge ingot, the value of which, according to various estimates, ranges from $5 million to $17 million.
Millions from a German library, 2011
A collection of unique coins, the total value of which can reach several million euros, was found among the books of a state library in one of the towns of Lower Bavaria. The cleaning lady discovered a box containing a collection of Greek, Roman, Byzantine coins, as well as French coins from the era of Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to one version, the collection was hidden in 1803 from the authorities, who confiscated coins and books stored in monasteries for the benefit of the state.
Gold from the cruiser Edinburgh, 1981
In 1981, the largest deep-sea operation to recover gold from the sunken English cruiser Edinburgh was carried out in the Barents Sea. At the end of April 1942, the cruiser left Murmansk for England with 5.5 tons of gold on board, but, having received damage from German warships, was scuttled by order of the captain. Only in 1980 did English experts determine the exact location of the ship, and in September 1981, most of the gold bars were raised to the surface. Several ingots were never found.
17 tons of silver at a depth of 2.5 km, 2011
About 17 tons of silver were discovered on board a British ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The Mantola was wrecked in 1917 by the German submarine U-81. According to experts, the value of the treasure exceeds $19 million.
Treasures of the Galleon Atocha, 1985
In 1985, after 15 years of searching, the legendary treasures of the Spanish galleon Atocha, which was wrecked in 1622 due to a storm off the coast of Florida, were found.
The wealth raised was estimated at more than $400 million, including 200 gold and about a thousand silver bars, jewelry, gold chains and an entire arsenal of weapons from the 17th century.
Pirate's treasure on a Florida beach, 1984
The treasure was found by one of the most famous treasure hunters, Barry Clifford, just a few hundred meters from Cape Cod Beach on the Florida coast. He discovered the wreck of the pirate galley Whydah, from which he recovered about five tons of various valuables.
The total price of what was found exceeded $15 million: before crashing on the coastal reefs, the pirates robbed more than fifty ships.
48 tons of silver off the coast of Ireland, July 2012
Some 48 tons of silver were recently recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean - the largest cargo of the precious metal ever discovered in the depths of the sea. Treasure worth approximately $38 million was found on board the ship Gersoppa off the coast of Ireland. This military transport ship sank in 1941 after an attack by German submarines.
Gold, platinum and diamonds on the “ship without a name”, 2009
The remains of a British cargo ship sunk by the Nazis during World War II have been discovered off the northeast coast of South America. The value of the find was that the ship was carrying a large cargo of gold, platinum and diamonds intended to replenish the US treasury.
The name of the vessel was not disclosed; it was conventionally called Blue Baron. The ship was wrecked in June 1942.
Half a million gold and silver coins, 2007
In May 2007, Odyssey Marine Exploration, a company specializing in the search for marine treasures, announced the discovery of a sunken ship with 500,000 gold and silver coins on board. The treasure was recovered and transported to the United States, but the company never said who owned the sunken ship or where exactly it was found.
Coins and magic stone in the Caribbean, 2011
Last year, the American treasure hunting organization Deep Blue Marine discovered treasure in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of the Dominican Republic. In the 16th century, a shipwreck occurred at this site. Divers found 700 ancient coins, the value of which could reach millions of dollars, ancient figurines and an unusual mirror stone that could be used in shamanic rituals.
In February 2012, the famous US treasure hunter Greg Brooks discovered the sunken British ship Port Nicholson, which in 1942 never brought platinum bars from the USSR to New York. The ship was sunk by a German submarine. Its cargo was intended for the settlement of the Soviet Union with the US government for the supply of ammunition, military equipment and food by the allies.