List of missing treasures
Updated: 11/4/2025, 4:29:06 PM Wikipedia source
This is an incomplete list of notable treasures that are currently lost or missing. The existence of some of these treasures is mythical or disputed.
Tables
· List
Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
Name
Ark of the Covenant
Existence
Legend
Year lost
586 BC
Description
The Ark of the Covenant is an artifact which is believed to hold the Ten Commandments. The Ark of Covenant was held in Jerusalem until 586 BC but it was taken out and hidden following the Siege of Jerusalem and was never recovered.
Gold of Tolosa
Gold of Tolosa
Name
Gold of Tolosa
Existence
Legend
Year lost
106 BC
Description
A treasure hoard seized by the ancient Roman proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio from the Volcae town of Tolosa, modern-day Toulouse.
Menorah from the Second Temple
Menorah from the Second Temple
Name
Menorah from the Second Temple
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
191
Description
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
Alaric's Treasure
Name
Alaric's Treasure
Existence
Legend
Year lost
410
Description
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
Ganj-e Badavard
Name
Ganj-e Badavard
Existence
Legend
Year lost
circa 7th–10th c.
Description
One of the eight treasures of the Sasanian king Khosrow II.
Heirloom Seal of the Realm
Heirloom Seal of the Realm
Name
Heirloom Seal of the Realm
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
circa 960
Description
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
Egill Skallagrímsson's silver
Name
Egill Skallagrímsson's silver
Existence
Legend
Year lost
circa 990-995
Description
A large quantity of silver coinage, allegedly buried near Mosfellsbær, Iceland, when Egill was in his eighties.
Kusanagi
Kusanagi
Name
Kusanagi
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1185
Description
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. Current government claims possession, but has not permitted outside verification.
Lost Crown Jewels of England
Lost Crown Jewels of England
Name
Lost Crown Jewels of England
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1216
Description
Baggage train of King John ("John Lackland"), lost in The Wash near Sutton Bridge during the First Barons' War.
Llywelyn's coronet
Llywelyn's coronet
Name
Llywelyn's coronet
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1303
Description
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.
Library of Ivan the Terrible
Library of Ivan the Terrible
Name
Library of Ivan the Terrible
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1518
Description
"Golden Library" thought to contain rare Greek, Latin, and Egyptian works from the libraries of Constantinople and Alexandria, as well as 2nd-century CE Chinese texts and manuscripts from Ivan IV's own era.
La Noche Triste treasure
La Noche Triste treasure
Name
La Noche Triste treasure
Existence
Partially Confirmed
Year lost
1520
Description
Large amount of gold looted from the palace of Moctezuma II. Occurred during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.
Lost Inca gold
Lost Inca gold
Name
Lost Inca gold
Existence
Partially Confirmed
Year lost
circa 1533
Description
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.
Great Bell of Dhammazedi
Great Bell of Dhammazedi
Name
Great Bell of Dhammazedi
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1608
Description
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.
The Three Brothers
The Three Brothers
Name
The Three Brothers
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1645
Description
A piece of jewellery created in 1389, made of three red spinels in a distinctive triangular arrangement around a central diamond. Owned by key historical figures such as Duke John the Fearless of Burgundy, the German banker 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.
Treasure of Amaro Pargo
Treasure of Amaro Pargo
Name
Treasure of Amaro Pargo
Existence
Likely
Year lost
1678–1747
Description
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". 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
Loch Arkaig treasure
Name
Loch Arkaig treasure
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1745
Description
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
Sceptre of Dagobert
Name
Sceptre of Dagobert
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1795
Description
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
Oak Island money pit
Name
Oak Island money pit
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1795
Description
A possible treasure trove located in a large hole on an island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Treasure of the Esperanza
Treasure of the Esperanza
Name
Treasure of the Esperanza
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1816
Description
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.
Treasure of Lima
Treasure of Lima
Name
Treasure of Lima
Existence
Likely
Year lost
1820
Description
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.
Confederate gold
Confederate gold
Name
Confederate gold
Existence
Legend
Year lost
circa 1865
Description
Gold from the Confederacy. Lost after the American Civil War.
Twin Sisters
Twin Sisters
Name
Twin Sisters
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1865
Description
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
Tokugawa's buried treasure
Name
Tokugawa's buried treasure
Existence
Legend
Year lost
circa 1868
Description
A legendary treasure allegedly buried in Mount Akagi by the Tokugawa shogunate (disputed).
Kruger Millions
Kruger Millions
Name
Kruger Millions
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1902
Description
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
Crown Jewels of Ireland
Name
Crown Jewels of Ireland
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1907
Description
Heavily bejeweled insignia of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick. Stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907.
The Tsar's Treasure
The Tsar's Treasure
Name
The Tsar's Treasure
Existence
Partially Confirmed
Year lost
1909
Description
$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.
The gold of the RMS Republic
The gold of the RMS Republic
Name
The gold of the RMS Republic
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1909
Description
The RMS Republic was a British ship built in 1903, the Republic was carrying $3,250,000 worth of gold and double eagles for the US Navy's Great White Fleet. However, the ship collided with the SS Florida and sunk. In 1919 an attempt was made to recover the lost money, but it was ultimately unsuccessful.
Romanian Treasure
Romanian Treasure
Name
Romanian Treasure
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1917
Description
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[update].
Florentine Diamond
Florentine Diamond
Name
Florentine Diamond
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1918
Description
Yellow diamond of Indian origin. Part of the Austrian Crown Jewels
Lost Imperial Fabergé eggs
Lost Imperial Fabergé eggs
Name
Lost Imperial Fabergé eggs
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1922 or later
Description
Seven eggs in the Imperial series are missing:
1886 – The Hen with Sapphire Pendant egg (last seen 1922)
1888 – The Cherub with Chariot egg (last seen 1922, may have been exhibited in New York City in 1934)
1889 – The Nécessaire egg (sold by Wartski in 1952, has not been seen since)
1897 – The Mauve egg (photo frame 'surprise' still extant)
1902 – The Empire Nephrite Egg (the provenance of the "found" Nephrite egg is contested)
1903 – The Royal Danish egg
1909 – The Alexander III Commemorative egg
The Just Judges
The Just Judges
Name
The Just Judges
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1934
Description
Lower left panel of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, which was displayed at the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, was stolen on the night of 10 April 1934.
Dutch Schultz's treasure
Dutch Schultz's treasure
Name
Dutch Schultz's treasure
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1935
Description
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 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.
Royal Casket
Royal Casket
Name
Royal Casket
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1939
Description
Memorial containing 73 precious relics 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
Sword of Islam
Name
Sword of Islam
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1943
Description
Ceremonial sword presented to Benito Mussolini in 1937 from Berber collaborators in Italian Libya. Disappeared in July 1943, after his summer residence was destroyed by the Italian Resistance.
Peking Man
Peking Man
Name
Peking Man
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1941–1945
Description
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 Japanese ship Awa Maru when it was torpedoed by the USS Queenfish and sank in April 1945.
Amber Room
Amber Room
Name
Amber Room
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
circa 1945
Description
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.
Yamashita's gold
Yamashita's gold
Name
Yamashita's gold
Existence
Legend
Year lost
circa 1945
Description
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
Awa Maru treasure
Name
Awa Maru treasure
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1945
Description
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.
Nazi gold train
Nazi gold train
Name
Nazi gold train
Existence
Legend
Year lost
1945
Description
A train laden with gold and other treasures hidden by the Nazi Germans in a tunnel near Wałbrzych in Lower Silesia, Poland.
Honjō Masamune
Honjō Masamune
Name
Honjō Masamune
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1945
Description
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.
Nelson's Chelengk
Nelson's Chelengk
Name
Nelson's Chelengk
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1951
Description
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
Tucker's Cross
Name
Tucker's Cross
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1975
Description
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.
Lufthansa heist
Lufthansa heist
Name
Lufthansa heist
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1978
Description
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.
Brink's-Mat robbery
Brink's-Mat robbery
Name
Brink's-Mat robbery
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1983
Description
Gold bullion, diamonds, and cash valued at £26 million (worth approximately £79 million in 2015)
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist
Name
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
1990
Description
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.
Antwerp Diamond heist
Antwerp Diamond heist
Name
Antwerp Diamond heist
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2003
Description
Diamonds, gold and other jewels worth $189 million. Dubbed the "heist of the century".
Graff Diamonds robbery
Graff Diamonds robbery
Name
Graff Diamonds robbery
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2009
Description
43 items of jewellery, stolen in London on 6 August 2009. Valued at nearly £40 million.
Ivory Coast Crown Jewels
Ivory Coast Crown Jewels
Name
Ivory Coast Crown Jewels
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2011
Description
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.
Brussels Airport diamond heist
Brussels Airport diamond heist
Name
Brussels Airport diamond heist
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2013
Description
Diamonds stolen from a Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 at Brussels Airport valued at $50 million.
Bitcoin buried in Newport landfill
Bitcoin buried in Newport landfill
Name
Bitcoin buried in Newport landfill
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2013
Description
A laptop hard drive containing the private keys for 7,500–8,000 Bitcoin. James Howells has repeatedly requested that the council allow him to search for his device, buried in Docksway landfill, Newport, Wales, and has been refused by Newport City Council. As of November 2024, the missing Bitcoins were worth $750 million, and Howells sued the council for £495 million.
Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary
Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary
Name
Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2015
Description
Safe deposit facility burgled in London, total stolen could have been up to £200 million.
Dresden Green Vault heist
Dresden Green Vault heist
Name
Dresden Green Vault heist
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2019
Description
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 €113 million. In December 2022 it was announced that a large portion of the stolen items had been recovered. Thirty-one of the items were returned to the museum after being seized by Berlin authorities.
Drents Museum heist
Drents Museum heist
Name
Drents Museum heist
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2025
Description
On January 25, 2025, several Romanian hoards, including the golden Helmet of Coțofenești and three Dacian bracelets, were lost in a heist at the Drents Museum, in the Dutch city of Assen. The collection had been borrowed from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest.
Eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels
Eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels
Name
Eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels
Existence
Confirmed
Year lost
2025
Description
Eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels with a value of €88 million. They were stolen in the 2025 Louvre robbery robbery from the Galerie d'Apollon (lit. 'Apollo's Gallery'), part of the Louvre, Paris, France.
| Name | Existence | Year lost | Image | Description |
| Ark of the Covenant | Legend | 586 BC | Replica of the Ark of the Covenant in George Washington Masonic National Memorial | The Ark of the Covenant is an artifact which is believed to hold the Ten Commandments. The Ark of Covenant was held in Jerusalem until 586 BC but it was taken out and hidden following the Siege of Jerusalem and was never recovered. |
| Gold of Tolosa | Legend | 106 BC | A treasure hoard seized by the ancient Roman proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio from the Volcae town of Tolosa, modern-day Toulouse. | |
| 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 theImperial 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. Current government claims possession, but has not permitted outside verification. |
| Lost 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. |
| Library of Ivan the Terrible | Legend | 1518 | — | "Golden Library" thought to contain rare Greek, Latin, and Egyptian works from the libraries of Constantinople and Alexandria, as well as 2nd-century CE Chinese texts and manuscripts from Ivan IV's own era. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. Owned by key historical figures such as Duke John the Fearless of Burgundy, the German banker 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. |
| Treasure of Amaro Pargo | Likely | 1678–1747 | Portrait of Amaro Pargo located on the canvas of the "Christ of Humility and Patience" of the Hermitage 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". 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. | 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. |
| Treasure of the Esperanza | Legend | 1816 | — | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| The gold of the RMS Republic | Confirmed | 1909 | The Republic sinking by the stern after the collision in 1909 | The RMS Republic was a British ship built in 1903, the Republic was carrying $3,250,000 worth of gold and double eagles for the US Navy's Great White Fleet. However, the ship collided with the SS Florida and sunk. In 1919 an attempt was made to recover the lost money, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. |
| 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[update]. |
| Florentine Diamond | Confirmed | 1918 | Photograph of the diamond | Yellow diamond of Indian origin. Part of the Austrian Crown Jewels |
| Lost Imperial Fabergé eggs | Confirmed | 1922 or later | The Alexander III Commemorative egg | Seven eggs in the Imperial series are missing: 1886 – The Hen with Sapphire Pendant egg (last seen 1922) 1888 – The Cherub with Chariot egg (last seen 1922, may have been exhibited in New York City in 1934) 1889 – The Nécessaire egg (sold by Wartski in 1952, has not been seen since) 1897 – The Mauve egg (photo frame 'surprise' still extant) 1902 – The Empire Nephrite Egg (the provenance of the "found" Nephrite egg is contested) 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 on 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 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. |
| Royal Casket | Confirmed | 1939 | The Royal Casket | Memorial containing 73 precious relics 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. Disappeared in July 1943, after his summer residence was destroyed by the Italian Resistance. |
| 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 Japanese ship Awa Maru when it was torpedoed by the USS Queenfish and sank in April 1945. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Antwerp Diamond heist | Confirmed | 2003 | — | Diamonds, gold and other jewels worth $189 million. Dubbed the "heist of the century". |
| Graff Diamonds robbery | Confirmed | 2009 | — | 43 items of jewellery, stolen in London on 6 August 2009. Valued at nearly £40 million. |
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