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* History * Finance * Travel * Health * Lifestyle * Knowledge THESE ARE THE WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE TREASURES, AND THEY'VE NEVER BEEN RECOVERED ADVERTISEMENT (Photo courtesy Ann Wuyts/ Wikimedia Commons) There are many treasures of great fortune just waiting to be found around the world. Some of these treasures were lost many years ago still waiting to be uncovered. Some of the most valuable pieces in this world disappeared without a trace or were taken with force only to be hidden and never found again. The unbelievable value of these treasures could make one wealthy for the rest of their life. A lot of these treasures and mysteries have many stories to them and the debate of whether some of these are real or not is discussed by many. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT THE PEKING MAN The Peking Man fossils were discovered in the 1930s at the Zhoukoudian fossil deposit. These fossils were a mystery to most and showed that humans may have descended from primates. These fossils are said to date back at least 220,000 to 770,000 years ago. It was said that the fossils disappeared during the outbreak of World War II. Photo Courtesy (Yan Li/Wikimedia Commons) There were casts made out of these fossils that aren't missing and provide us with information about them even though they are missing today. Many theories say that the fossils were supposed to be delivered to Marine transports to take back to the United States. The last place they were seen was being put into wooden crates for transport leaving China. Theories suggest that the crates full of fossils may have been sunk on a Japanese or American ship. Other theories suggest that they may have been buried somewhere in China still waiting to be found. THE DEAD SEA SCROLL TREASURE The Dead Sea Scroll treasure was discovered on a scroll made of copper in the caves of Qumran. This copper scroll was different from the other regular scrolls both in its look and its contents. It was believed that this scroll, unlike the others, was placed there at a different time. The metal scroll could not be unrolled, so they had to cut it into 23 strips and piece it back together. Photo Courtesy (Ken and Nyetta/ Wikimedia Commons) Once the copper scroll was pieced back together they started to translate the words on it. The language was Hebrew but it was closer to the language of the Mishnah rather than the literary version of Hebrew. On this copper scroll, it listed 64 different locations of large treasures that could be found. It also lists that there are over 4,600 talents of precious metals that are worth over a billion dollars in today's money. Many believe the treasure to have been looted long ago and others still believe there to be more treasure waiting to be found. SARCOPHAGUS OF MENKAURE The sarcophagus of Menkaure was discovered by the British explorer by the name of Howard Vyse. He made this discovery by blasting holes into the sides of the pyramids. Although very destructive it was ultimately productive in finding the chamber that hid the sarcophagus. Photo Courtesy (Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons) It was said that Howard took the sarcophagus onto his boat the 'Beatrice'. Howard's ship supposedly sank during a storm on his way back to England and on the ship with him was the sarcophagus. Many believe in different locations that his ship may have sunk but no one knows for sure. Some people believe it to be found just off the coast of Gibraltar and others believe that it could be in the sea between Malta and Spain. Many adventurers have tried to find the sunken 'Beatrice' with no luck to be found. THE LOST POEMS OF SAPPHO Sappho was a Greek lyric poet in the seventh century B.C. that was considered to be one of the greatest poets of her time. There are very few of her poems that still exist today at least that we know of. Only fragments of her work are able to be read today. Photo Courtesy (Prioryman/Wikimedia Commons) There were two new sections that were found recently by the University of Oxford's papyrologist Dirk Obbink. These poems seem to be talking about her love and also her brothers. It is believed that much of her work has either been looted or destroyed throughout history. THE THREE BROTHERS JEWEL The Three Brothers Jewel was a very rich jewel for its time in the 14th century. It had many distinct features such as three red spinels, all 70 carats each, and a big blue diamond in the middle cut into a pyramid shape weighing about 30 carats. This Jewel also had many historical figures throughout history as owners. Duke John the Fearless of Burgundy was the owner of this piece in the late 1300s. Photo Courtesy (Peter Portner, Historisches Museum Basel/ Wikimedia Commons) It was at least 100 years later that it was in the possession of German banker Jakob Fugger. Eventually, the Brothers were sold to the king of England, Edward VI, and became apart of the Crown Jewels of England. The jewel stayed within the Crown Jewels of England from 1551 to 1643. In the 1640s King Charles I of England's wife Henrietta attempted to sell the jewel in order to fund the country during a civil war. Historians believe that eventually Henrietta managed to pawn off the Three Brothers Jewel but it was never reported or documented. The traces of the jewel disappear after that and it has never been found or seen again. Many people believe that it was taken apart and used for other pieces of jewelry but no true traces of it have been found. THE LIBRARY OF THE MOSCOW TSARS In The 16th Century, the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Moscow supposedly built a library that would contain supposed texts of ancient Greeks, as well as other languages. Ivan The Terrible who lived from A.D. 1530 to 1584 was said to have hidden the library texts. Photo Courtesy (jimmyweee/Wikimedia Commons) Many people have attempted to find this hidden library of texts but none have been successful. No one knows if this talk of a hidden library was supposed to be true or not. Today in Moscow and St. Petersburg there are many Greek texts along with other languages that could be found, maybe some of these could have been the remainder of the hidden library. MISSING ROMANOV EASTER EGGS A Russian jeweler by the name of Peter Carl Faberge is popular for making his Faberge Eggs. These decorative eggs were made out of expensive materials such as gold and silver. The eggs were a tradition that started with Tsar Alexander II, who gave his wife these decorative easter eggs. From that day on he would order one from Faberge each year until his death. Photo Courtesy (shakko/ Wikimedia Commons) His successor Nicholas II continued the tradition and in total would order 44 more eggs during his rule. The exact number of eggs is unknown since many rich Russian families would order these to make as well. It is said that there is about 70 in total but no one knows that for a fact. It is said that about 8 of these royal eggs have gone missing and have never been found. All of these surviving eggs are said to be worth millions and the ones that are still missing are probably worth far more. THE JEWELS OF KING JOHN King John was alive from 1166 to 1216 and during his time he loved to collect treasures of gold and high value. It was said that he traveled to Lynn in Norfolk through dangerous swamps. He contracted dysentery and had to return to Newark Castle to get treatment. Photo Courtesy (Folger Shakespeare Library Digital Image Collection/ Wikimedia Commons) Alongside King John, he would have carts full of his most prized possessions, including the crowns to his grandmother, travel alongside him. When he had to turn back he took the safe, long route back to the castle. His carts would take the short dangerous route back and would end up paying the consequence of it. It is said on the way back his carts vanished and were never found again. Days later King John would pass away taking the story of his treasures with him. THE TOMB OF GENGHIS KHAN Genghis Khan died in the summer of 1227 during his campaign in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in Yinchuan. Although his origin of death is unknown it is believed that he may have died from battle injuries. His death was so secret that many legends and theories were made up because no one knew what the truth was. Photo Courtesy (Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons) It is believed that Genghis Khan said that he wanted to be buried in an unmarked grave in the Burkhan Khaldun Mountains in Mongolia. After his death, he was taken to the Burkhan Khaldun Mountains to be buried in an unmarked grave. Many believe that his fellow soldiers who were involved in the burial were killed to preserve the secrecy of his grave. There is now a large area where Genghis Khan's resting place is supposed to be that is blocked off to the public. This ground remains a sacred place. Many have tried to find the location of the grave but none have ever been successful. THE LOST FILM "LIFE OF GENERAL VILLA" Pancho Villa was a Mexican revolutionary that fought against Mexico's leaders. A film called 'Life of General Villa' was made about him and although was very fictionalized, still used real footage of Pancho's forces fighting. Photo Courtesy (José Cortina/ Wikimedia Commons) The Mutual Film Corporation had Pancho Villa sign a contract allowing them to film in his real-life battles. In exchange, Pancho would be compensated with some of the film's earnings. The film was shown and released to the public, but since then has been lost. THE HONJO MASAMUNE SWORD Goro Nyudo Masamune was considered to be the greatest swordsmiths in Japanese history. He made the Honjo Masamune Sword for Honjo Shigenaga as a prize after a 16th-century battle. It later would come into possession of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was a leader that had become the first shogun of Japan. Photo Courtesy (Samuraiantiqueworld/ Wikimedia Commons) The sword was passed down through the Tokugawa family until the second world war. At the end of World War II, during the American occupation of Japan, the sword was turned over to the American authorities. After this, the sword has never appeared again and it is rumored that American soldiers may have destroyed the sword along with many other Japanese weapons. Other sources say that it may have been taken back to America where it has yet to be found. THE JUST JUDGES Hubert and Jan van Eyck painted the Just Judges, which is apart of the Ghent Altarpiece. It was located in the Saint Bravo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. It is said that Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy at the time was one of the men painted in this picture. Photo Courtesy (Max Friedländer/ Wikimedia Commons) This one panel of the Ghent Altarpiece was stolen in 1934 and to this day has never been found. It is said that many attempts have been made to steal this piece. This wasn't the only piece that was planned to be stolen but it was the only one that has been today. THE FLORENTINE DIAMOND The Florentine Diamond was 133 carats and was said to be the largest diamond of its kind. During 1918 it was in possession of the Habsburg royal family. Austria-Hungary was on the losing side of World War I during the time. Photo Courtesy (Florentine Diamond/ Wikimedia Commons) This caused the family to deposit the diamond in a bank vault in Switzerland. An Austrian lawyer by the name of Bruno Steiner was entrusted with the expensive gem. Bruno was arrested and charged with fraud and acquitted. It is believed that the diamond may have been cut into smaller pieces and is still out there today. THE LOST DA VINCI MURAL Leanardo Da Vinci was famous for his well-known paintings and creations. In 1505 he painted a mural of the Battle of Anghiari in the town hall of Florence. Photo Courtesy (After leonardo da vinci, The Battle of Anghiari/ Wikimedia Commons) It is said that the painting disappeared in 1563 with no traces of it to be found. The hall was later remodeled by the architect Giorgio Vasari. It is believed that the painting may have been stolen and has never been found. Some art experts suggested they found traces of it painted under Girogio's painting but evidence of that never fell through. THE MENORAH FROM THE SECOND TEMPLE Many Jewish rebels trying to free Isreal from the Romans were fighting against the Roman army during the time of A.D. 66 through 74. The Roman General Titus would gain control over Jerusalem striking a critical blow to the rebels. Photo Courtesy (David Shankbone/ Wikimedia Commons) The Roman army had destroyed the Second Temple and carried its wealth and treasures back to Rome. Amongst the treasures, the Temple's menorah was one of the many riches that was taken. The menorah was depicted as being much bigger than a human and being carried over their heads. The story of the menorah is unclear after its arrival in Rome. Many say it is still hidden somewhere in Rome waiting to be found. ISABELLA STEWARD GARDNER MUSEUM STOLEN ART The Isabella Steward Gardner Museum is an art museum that stores artworks from Europe, Asia, and America. On March 18, 1990, there were two thieves dressed up as police officers, who had broken into the museum. Photo Courtesy (Sean Dungan/ Wikimedia Commons) They managed to steal 13 pieces of art that are valued at about $500 million. The thieves' identities have never been uncovered and the artwork has never been found. It is believed that the thieves are most likely dead now and the pieces of artwork are either destroyed or severely damaged. LAKE TOPLITZ MISSING NAZI GOLD Lake Toplitz is a Lake in Austria's Alps that may hold the secrets of gold from World War II. It is said that SS officer Ernst Kaltenbrunner sunk a ship full of stolen gold worth around $5 billion into the lake. Photo Courtesy (mcboernie/ Wikimedia Commons) Many searches have been set out to find the gold at the bottom of the lake but no one has been successful. It is said that the lake has poor visibility with logs and debris covering the floors of the lake. This would prove difficult to find the gold and has been dangerous taking the lives of people who have searched for it. This gold may be a legend but many believe it to be a legitimate claim. LOST RAPHAEL PAINTING Raphael Sanzio is an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. He painted the painting called "Portrait of a Young Man" onto an oil canvas. The origins of the date and person he painted are unknown. The painting was in the possession of the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland. Photo Courtesy (Lost Raphael Painting/Wikimedia Commons) During World War II, Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and the painting was stolen from the museum by the Germans. They had planned to put this painting into the Fuhrer museum which was a museum envisioned by Hitler to store the world's most prized arts. The museum had never been built and the painting had last been seen in Hans Frank's house in Neuhaus, Germany. He was a German politician who served as the head of the government in Poland. The painting was never found after being seen in Frank's house. SHAKESPEAR'S PLAY "LOVE'S LABOUR'S WON" William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the most famous writers and poets in history. He had written a play called "Love's Labour's Lost" before he had written, "Love's Labor's Won". It was said to be written around 1598 and was published by 1603. Photo Courtesy (Shakespear's Play "Love's Labour's Won"/Wikimedia Commons) "Love's Labour's won" was said to be the sequel to "Love's Labour's Lost". The play was lost and documentations of it are very rare to find. Some scholars believe that "Love's Labour's Won" is referred to as another play called "Mucho Ado About Nothing" which is still seeing today. MICHELANGELO'S MISSING MASK OF FAUN Michelangelo's Mask of Faun depicts that of a human who is half goat. This faun is a mythological creature and the mask was made out of marble. The craftsmanship of this mask is very intricate and you can tell it took some time to sculpt. Photo Courtesy (sailko/ Wikimedia Commons) The mask was owned by the Bargello Museum in Florence, Italy. It was stolen from Castello di Poppi by the German army sometime between August 22nd and 23rd 1944. Records show it to be placed onto a truck with the 305th division that was attached to the 10th German Army. The truck was said to continue on through Forli, Italy but the mask was never seen after that. FIRST-CENTURY GOSPELS The oldest Christain gospels that survive today date back to the second century A.D. Many scholars believe that there are gospels that date back to the first century A.D. There are many questions about whether or not gospels from the first century A.D. exist or not. Photo Courtesy (First-Century Gospels/Wikimedia Commons) Though it may be that the gospels written in the second century are in fact the oldest gospels, there have been uncoverings of a fragment of the Gospel of Mark which was discovered in a mummy mask. They believe this dates back to the first century by using carbon dating and studying the style of handwriting. TREASURES OF NIMRUD Nimrud was an ancient city located in modern-day Iraq that was the capital of the Assyrian empire. Under the reign of Ashurnasirpal II, he built a new palace along with many other amenities for daily life. Photo Courtesy (Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP/ Wikimedia Commons) In recent history, the terrorist group ISIS had occupied the city in June 2014. During this time of occupation, ISIS destroyed many buildings and pieces of art and treasures. They blew up part of the city and bulldozed down a lot more. The city wasn't recaptured until November 2016 but by then many of the treasures had been destroyed. LEDA AND THE SWAN MICHELANGELO PAINTING Michelangelo painted the painting "Leda and the Swan" which had depicted the mythological god Jupiter as a swan seducing Leda, Queen of Sparta. This scene describes the offspring of them which was Helen of Troy. Photo Courtesy (Leda And The Swan Michelangelo Painting/Wikimedia Commons) The painting was lost with only a few copies surviving today that shows us exactly what it looked like. The painting was seen as very erotic especially in its time. No one knows why the painting went missing only to speculate that the scenes were too graphic for many and as such it eventually was destroyed and thrown out. In the end, nobody truly knows why it's gone or how it came to disappear. THE IRISH CROWN JEWELS One of the most valuable possessions of the Order of St. Patrick, The Irish Crown Jewels, was stolen on July 6, 1907. To this day these expensive jewels have never been found. These jewels were safely guarded in the Dublin Castle 24/7 with guards switching position only when the other arrived. Photo Courtesy: [Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons] These royal jewels are said to be worth about $20 million in today's money. The Crown Jewels disappeared the morning of July 6, when a cleaning maid found the door to the safe room wide open with the keys dangling out of the lock. They disappeared just days before King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were expected for a visit. Sir Arthur Vicars was the Ulster King Of Arms and was responsible for guarding the jewels. It is said that he was sometimes unresponsible on the job and would get drunk from time to time. He was fired after the jewels were stolen and he was a suspect in the crime but no evidence was ever found to accuse him nor anyone else. The missing jewels still remain a mystery till today. THE TOMB OF CLEOPATRA It is claimed that Cleopatra and Mark Antony were buried together after their deaths. A writer wrote that their tomb was located by a temple of Isis. It is said that they are buried with many treasures such as emeralds, gold, silver, ivory, and ebony. Photo Courtesy (The Tomb Of Cleopatra/Wikimedia Commons) An antiquities minister of Egypt named Zahi Hawass conducted excavations near Alexandria and found tombs that dated back to the era of Cleopatra. The tomb was not among the ones they found and still hasn't been found yet. Time is running out because of the eroding coastlines of Alexandria. It is said that her palace is among the parts that have been eroded into the sea. THE TREASURE OF LIMA A British explorer by the name of William Thompson was supposed to help the Spanish with their treasure in Lima. They wanted him to bring the treasure on his ship and sail around until a revolt in the city was resolved. Thompson however got greedy and betrayed the Spanish by killing them off. After that, he buried the entire treasure in hopes to hide away the wealth. Photo Courtesy (The Treasure Of Lima/Wikimedia Commons) His ship was later captured and his entire crew was killed off except for his first mate and him. The Spanish spared them in exchange for Thompson to show them where the treasure was buried. They arrived at Cocos Island which is near modern-day Costa Rica. Once they arrived Thompson and his mate jumped ship and ran off into the jungle and was never seen again. No one knows where this treasure may be hidden, some think it is on Cocos Island and others think that Thompson dug it up and continued living his life after the Spanish gave up chasing him. KEY WEST TREASURE Spanish ships were off the coast of Key West and among them a ship called Nuestra Senora de Atocha. These ships were carrying a haul of gold and treasure. Photo Courtesy (Key West Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) Their voyage was ravaged by a hurricane that sunk their ships into the Gulf of Mexico. It is said that about $500 million has been collected from the shipwreck but they estimate that there is at least $200 million still on the ocean floor. JOHN DILLINGER'S LOST RICHES John Dillinger was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He was accused of robbing at least 24 banks in his time and had been to jail several times but escaped twice. Photo Courtesy (John Dillinger's Lost Riches/Wikimedia Commons) John Dillinger was at a lodge in Wisconson, when the police showed up and unknowingly shot innocent men out in the front. Dillinger knew he had been caught so he escaped the lodge and buried about $200,000 in cash that he had on him at the time. He was shot by a police officer a couple of months later and never recovered the money in the ground. It is said to still be buried somewhere to this day but no one has ever found it. SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS The Superstition Mountains have many stories of odd and rare occurrences. Many people have seen sightings of weird creatures and even UFOs. The Superstition Mountains are located to the east of Phoenix, Arizona. Photo Courtesy (Superstition Mountains/Wikimedia Commons) A man of German descent named Jacob Waltz stumbled upon a mine full of gold but chose to keep it secret. Many people have gone searching for the mine and disappeared with no traces to find them. This mountain range is known for strange disappearances especially when in the pursuit to find the lost mine. TREASURE OF THE ESPERANZA A Spanish ship by the name of Esperanza was traveling up the coast from Peru into the Pacific Ocean. The ship was supposedly carrying over $3 million pesos worth of silver and gold. The Esperanza had been struck by a storm and was badly damaged and taken over by pirates. Photo Courtesy (Daniel Ramirez/ Wikimedia Commons) Pirates had stolen the $3 million worth of gold and silver and took it upon their ship. The pirate's luck had run out and they too were hit by a storm that had badly damaged their ship. One of the survivor's letters had noted that they buried the treasure before repairing their ship and sailing off to never be heard or seen again. THE RMS REPUBLIC The RMS Republic was a ship that sailed for the White Star Line. This ship had an accident and collided with another ship and had sunk due to heavy fog. Many wealthy Americans would travel upon this ship and it was equipped with new wireless telegraphy transmitters. Photo Courtesy (The RMS Republic/Wikimedia Commons) Because this ship was equipped with such new technology and wireless communication they were able to save lots of lives on the ship before it completely sank. It was reported that this ship was carrying gold American coins that were worth about $3,000,000 million. Many attempts to salvage have failed and one attempt resulted in dragging the ship into even deeper waters making it harder to reach. No attempts to salvage the gold coins have been successful and the value of the coins today would appraise at over $ 1 billion. SPANISH SILVER CACHE IN TEXAS The story of the Spanish silver cache is based on a Spanish document that came from the Conquistador era. It tells of a Spanish pack of donkeys carrying 40 loads of silver. Photo Courtesy (Spanish Silver Cache In Texas/Wikimedia Commons) They were chased by a pack of hostiles so they decided to bury the silver in the ground rather than give it up to the enemy. It is said to be buried by the suburb called Leander in Texas. Many explorers have tried to find this treasure with no luck other than finding a ruby arrowhead in the area that may have a connection to the treasure. BISHOP'S STOLEN TREASURE The Sao Vicente sailed from modern-day Lisbon to Avignon which was in France. This ship was said to have been carrying gold acquired from a recently deceased bishop named Thibaud de Castillon. Photo Courtesy (Bishop's Stolen Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) The treasure was said to have gold, silver, tapestries, jewels, and rings. The ship was attacked by pirates while sailing close to the town of Cartagena in Spain. There were two pirate ships that attacked the Sao Vicente, one that grabbed the treasure aboard and the other that was later captured landing on the ground. The one who stole the treasure made a clean escape and no one knows or heard of what happened to the ship and the crew after that. ROCKY MOUNTAIN THOMAS BEALE TREASURE Thomas Beale stumbled upon a goldmine with his men that was worth about $40 million. Beale hid the treasure in 3 different locations in order to pass it on to his kin. He hid them because he didn't know if he would make it down the Rockie Mountains alive. Photo Courtesy (Rocky Mountain Thomas Beale Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) He made three ciphers that would name the location of the treasure, the contents of the treasure, and the name of kin. The ciphers were giving to an innkeeper by the name of Robert Morris with instructions saying that if Beale didn't return in 10 years then a key would be delivered to him to open the box containing the ciphers. Ten years had passed and there was no sign of Beale or the key. Many people have tried to figure out these ciphers but no one has succeeded. CAPTAIN GRANT'S TREASURE In the 1800s General Custer was defeated by the Native Americans and this forced Captain Grant Marsh to hide his delivery of $350,000 to resupply Custer. He ended up Burying the gold for safekeeping while he helped General Custers injured men. Photo Courtesy (Captain Grant's Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) Marsh tried to return to his gold that he buried but he could not seem to find where he last buried it. He made multiple trips in hopes to find this gold hidden in the ground but on his last trip, heavy rain would cause a landslide and hide the gold forever. Many still believe it is buried along the bighorn river still. BLACKBEARD'S TREASURE The pirate Blackbeard, otherwise known by his real name Edward Teach, joined a pirate crew in 1716. He sailed for about two years pirating and plundering ships. Blackbeard would wait for Spanish ships to sail back from South America so he could launch surprise attacks. Photo Courtesy (Blackbeard's Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) Within his short time on the seas as a pirate, he obtained massive amounts of wealth from plundering. His pirating came to an end in 1718 when British Lieutenant Robert Maynard killed him. His ship has been discovered on the seafloor in Beaufort, North Carolina but no treasure was found on it. It is accounted that Blackbeard buried his treasure but he never said where it was. Many people have tried to look for the treasure with no luck. MONTEZUMA'S TREASURE The Aztec Empire was besieged by Hernan Cortes and the Spanish in 1520. When Montezuma was captured by Hernan many people rebelled against the Spanish in hopes to free him but he was killed. Hernan tried to escape the town with the riches of Montezuma but they were forced to abandon it in the river. Photo Courtesy (Basilio/ Wikimedia Commons) Aztec warriors pursued the Spanish and they dumped the treasure in hopes to survive. The Spanish would again attack the city and regain control the very next year but the treasure they dumped was nowhere to be found. Many Aztec stories tell of Aztec warriors picking up the treasure from where it was left and also Montezuma's body. They supposedly marched north and people think it may be buried somewhere in Southern Utah. PICASSO'S STOLEN ART Pablo Picasso is a very famous painter and artist that is known all over the world. His paintings are among the most stolen paintings out there. A heist in 2012 happened at the Kunsthal Museum and it was portrayed as the heist of the century. A total of seven paintings were stolen that day and most of them by very famous artists such as Picasso, Gauguin, and Monet. Photo Courtesy (Picasso's Stolen Art/Wikimedia Commons) Picasso has had over 1,000 paintings stolen to this day. Another instance of stolen paintings was in 2010 at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, in France, where his painting "Le Pigeon Aux Petits Pois" was stolen along with four other paintings by different artists. Many of these paintings have never been found with thoughts of them being destroyed or lost forever. ATHENA PARTHENOS The Athena Parthenos is a statue made of gold and ivory that was sculpted by the famous Phidias. His assistant helped him with this statue and it was stored in the Parthenon in Athens. Photo Courtesy (Athena Parthenos/Wikimedia Commons) The statue was damaged by fire at around 164 B.C. but it was repaired not long after. Records of the statue disappear after that and not much is found in the text of what happened to it. Many think it was taken to Constantinople and destroyed. OAK ISLAND The mystery of Oak Island is widely known for its treasures that are supposedly hidden on the island. Since the 1700s this island has been apart of tales and mysteries telling of treasure. It is rumored that Captain Kidd's treasure is buried upon this island. Photo Courtesy (Oak Island/Wikimedia Commons) There are many points of interest on the island that treasure hunters think the treasure is buried. There have been many objects dug up such as pre-15th-century crosses and wooden works but not treasure. Many people still are trying to figure out the mystery of this island and uncover its treasure. ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S TOMB Alexander The Great was the great king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia. Many today wonder where Alexander's tomb may be buried as it was never found. When Alexander had passed many of his advisors argued where the body would be buried. Photo Courtesy (Alexander The Great's Tomb/Wikimedia Commons) His body was supposedly buried first in Memphis, Egypt and then it was taken to Alexandria. Other reports say that his body was hijacked while being transported. Many have tried to find his tomb but no one has been successful in this great search. LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA The Library of Alexandria was one of the largest libraries that contained the writings of the world's greatest thinkers like Plato, Socrates, and Homer. The library was said to be built around 285 to 246 B.C. Photo Courtesy (Library Of Alexandria/Wikimedia Commons) The library had many of its contents delivered and donated to it and it was estimated to have about 400,000 scrolls at its height. The Library of Alexandria was said to have burnt down in 275 A.D. with most, if not all, of its contents being lost. Nobody knows if contents from this library were managed to be saved, but it still remains a mystery today. LLYWELYN'S CORONET The Llywelyn's coronet was a crown of the Prince of Wales. His name was Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and he had deposited the crown, along with other expensive jewels, with monks at Cymer Abbey. Photo Courtesy (Llywelyn's Coronet/Wikimedia Commons) The Prince was killed later that year and his crown was seized along with his other riches. The pieces were taken back to London as a token of the defeated Welsh. It is said that the jewels were destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1649 but no account was ever written about the coronet and many think it is still out there waiting to be found. LOCH ARKAIG TREASURE During the Jacobite Uprising, the Spanish were supplying the cause and giving money to Charles Edward Stuart, the son of James Stuart. However, the deliverance of the money was a hard task as they had many enemies willing to attack and take the money for their own cause. Photo Courtesy (Loch Arkaig Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) It is said that the Spanish landed in Scotland with the delivery of money to support the Jacobite Uprising. The Jacobite Uprising failed and they had heard the news of defeat so the Spanish landed their ships at Loch nan Uamh. The money was to be used to get their way out of suffering at the hand of the government they were defeated by. They hid the treasures at Loch Arkaig and the secret was entrusted with one of the Jacobite fugitives, Murray of Broughton. It is said that the money was distributed as it was supposed to be but not all of the money was ever recovered and still might very well be out there waiting to be found. THE TREASURE OF ALARIC Alaric was the king of the Visigoths that captured the city of Rome in 410 A.D. He became the first foreign enemy to capture the city in over 800 years. Many say that this conquest of Alaric gave way to the fall of the Roman Empire. Photo Courtesy (The Treasure Of Alaric/Wikimedia Commons) Legend says that Alaric left Rome and headed towards North Africa but got caught in a storm which caused him to change course to modern-day Cosenza, Italy. It is said that he died during this time but no one knows how it happened. Many believe that he was sick or he got attacked by enemies. While he was traveling he carried all the treasure he pillaged from Rome, and when he died his troops buried him in a tomb they made. It is said that this tomb is near the Busento Crati rivers but many have searched with no luck. EGILL SKALLAGRÍMSSON'S VIKING TREASURE Egill Skallagrímsson was a mercenary, poet, and farmer that made many voyages to Scandinavia and the British Isles. He eventually settled down in Southwestern Iceland where he spent the last days of his life. He was given two treasure troves by King Aethelstan of England that he supposedly buried near where he lived. Photo Courtesy (Egill Skallagrímsson's Viking Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) Many scholars are confused as to where the treasure could be buried, some suggest that it is near what was his farm, and others say that it could be lost much further away from the place he lived. There have been many people who have tried to find this treasure with no luck, but many teams are still looking into where it could be located. KRUGER'S MILLIONS Paul Kruger was a South African politician in the 19th-century that supposedly had a hoard of gold hidden. He hid it in fear of having it stolen by the British during the Second Boer War. Photo Courtesy (Kruger's MillionsWikimedia Commons) A myth tells of the treasure being buried in the Blyde River area of Mpumalanga. The treasure consists of gold and diamonds that would be worth around $500,000,000 in today's terms. It is said that the treasure was hidden around the years 1899 and 1902, but since then no one has ever found the treasure except one person claiming to have found a part of it with no legitimacy to it. THE ROMANIAN TREASURE During World War I the Romanian government had signed a deal with the Russian government to keep the Romanian Treasure safe within the Kremlin until the end of the war. A train filled with 21 carriages of gold bars and coins left the Lasi Train Station towards Russia. Photo Courtesy (The Romanian Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) It was said that the amount of worth on the trains was about $5 billion in today's money. As the war continued to worsen Romania sent even more valuables including the most precious treasures of the state. In 1918 the Russian government had confiscated the Romanian treasure and a couple of years later they tried to recover it with no success. Russia returned part of the archives, paintings, and some precious antique jewels but the rest was never seen. During World War II the treasure was supposedly moved from Moscow to regions that weren't in immediate danger but no trace of it has been found after that. THE AWA MARU TREASURE The Awa Maru was a Japanese ship during World War II that was designed for passenger service. It, later on, changed its service to sail with the Japanese Navy as a relief ship. The ship was torpedoed in 1945 by an American submarine called the USS Queenfish. Photo Courtesy (The Awa Maru Treasure/Wikimedia Commons) Onboard the ship was said to have treasures aboard worth around $5 billion worth of gold, $58 million worth of platinum, and also other strategic materials. This ship may have been associated with the disappearance of the Peking Man fossils but no credibility to that story is found. PATIALA NECKLACE The Patiala Necklace was created in 1928 by the House of Cartier which was a French jeweler. The piece was made for Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, the ruling maharaja of the princely state of Patiala. Photo Courtesy (Patiala Necklace/Wikimedia Commons) The necklace had five chains and contained 2,930 diamonds, one of them being the world's seventh-largest diamond. The necklace had disappeared around 1948 with only the 7th largest diamond in the world reappearing in 1982 at an auction. Later on, in 1998 only part of the necklace was found in a jewelry shop in London. The part of the necklace was purchased and restored to its original condition replacing the lost diamonds with replicas. The other part of the jewels is still missing today and may very well still be out there. ADVERTISEMENT * Privacy Policy * Terms of Service * Help * California Privacy Notice * Cookies Settings * © 2023 Information Vine X PRIVACY PREFERENCE CENTER When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. 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