From legendary pirate hoards to gold-filled shipwrecks still resting beneath the waves, the world is full of treasures that have yet to be claimed.
Some are shrouded in centuries-old mystery, whispered about in campfire stories and history books, while others are documented finds that slipped away before anyone could retrieve them.
These riches lie in deserts, deep seas, mountain caves, and sometimes just beneath the soil in someone’s backyard, waiting for the right person with enough luck, skill, and determination to uncover them.
From chests of coins, and priceless artifacts, to lost cities themselves, these unsolved hunts stir the imagination and keep adventurers searching.
1
Atocha shipwreck treasure
The Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank in 1622; Mel Fisher recovered much of the treasure in 1985, but more is believed lost.
2
Oak island mystery
A centuries-old pit in Nova Scotia rumored to hold pirate treasure, but every excavation ends in mystery.
3
Yamashita’s gold
Rumored WWII loot hidden by Japanese forces in the Philippines, with no verified recovery.
4
The copper scroll treasure
A Dead Sea Scroll listing massive hoards of gold and silver in 64 locations; none have been found.
5
San José Galleon
A Spanish treasure ship sunk in 1708 off Colombia, believed to carry billions in gold and jewels; located in 2015, but not yet salvaged.
6
The Amber Room
A masterpiece of amber panels and gold stolen by the germans during WWII; its fate remains a mystery
7
Staffordshire hoard
Over 3,500 Anglo-Saxon gold and silver items found in a farmer’s field in 2009, the largest of its kind.
8
Antikythera shipwreck
A roman-era wreck off, famous for the Antikythera Mechanism and other treasures since 1900 is in ongoing recovery.
9
Kruger millions
Gold coins supposedly hidden by President Paul Kruger during the Boer War in South Africa, still searching for it.
10
Victorio Peak gold
Alleged massive gold stash in New Mexico’s desert caves; government restrictions have stopped searches.
11
Treasure of Lima
Pirate loot said to be hidden on Cocos Island, Costa Rica; multiple expeditions have failed to find it.
12
SS Central America gold
This 1857 shipwreck, known as the “Ship of Gold,” yielded tons of gold coins when discovered in 1988.
13
Lost Dutchman’s gold mine
A legendary gold mine hidden in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains, with no confirmed discovery.
14
Forrest Fenn treasure hunt
In 2020, a chest of gold and jewels hidden by art dealer Forrest Fenn in the Rocky Mountains was finally found after a decade-long search.
15
Beale Ciphers treasure
Three coded messages supposedly leading to buried gold and silver in Virginia, unsolved to this day.
16
The Flor de la Mar shipwreck
A Portuguese ship carrying a vast treasure sank in 1511 off Sumatra; the riches remain missing.
