Lost treasures rumored to be in the United States

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Grab your metal detector

For centuries, tales of lost treasure have captured the imaginations of adventurers and history enthusiasts alike. From pirate loot to stolen artifacts, these hidden riches are the stuff of legend.

While many treasures remain lost to this day, rumors persist about their whereabouts, waiting to be discovered by the intrepid few.

We scoured through the depths of the internet and found these six lost treasures rumored to be in the United States.

Treasure map
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1. The Beale Ciphers

In the early 1800s, a man named Thomas J. Beale stumbled upon an abandoned mine in Santa Fe, New Mexico, filled to the brim with glittering gold, silver, and precious jewels. Along with 30 companions, Beale transported the treasure to Bedford County, Virginia, where it was buried for safekeeping.

To ensure the retrieval of the hidden wealth, Beale created three cryptic ciphers, each detailing the treasure’s exact location, contents, and the contact information of those who helped him bury it.

Beale entrusted these ciphers to a trusted friend, with strict instructions to open them only if he failed to return within ten years. Despite their publication in 1885, only one of the ciphers has ever been deciphered. The second cipher revealed the valuable contents of the buried treasure, and its key was found to be none other than the United States Declaration of Independence. However, the other two ciphers remain unsolved, leaving the location of the trove still shrouded in mystery.

John S. Mosby's Hidden Treasure
Wikipedia/Public Domain

2. Confederate Ranger John S. Mosby’s hidden treasure

During the Civil War, Confederate ranger John Singleton Mosby and his band of guerrilla raiders captured over 40 Union troops at the Fairfax Courthouse in Virginia. They stole a burlap sack filled with $350,000 worth of gold, silver, jewelry, candlesticks, and other family heirlooms from local plantation owners. On their way back to Confederate lines, Mosby and his men buried the sack between two trees, marking the spot with his knife. Mosby later sent seven men to retrieve the loot, but they were captured and executed. Mosby himself never returned for the treasure, so its location remains a mystery to this day. The hidden treasure would be valued at more than $6 million today.

Treasure
Depositphotos.com

3. The Treasure of Jean Lafitte

The notorious pirate Jean Lafitte terrorized the waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century, plundering ships and amassing a fortune in gold, silver, and precious jewels. Rumors suggest that Lafitte’s treasure, estimated to be worth millions of dollars, still lies hidden somewhere in the swamps and marshes of Louisiana.

According to legend, Lafitte buried his treasure on an island in Barataria Bay, a remote area where he and his crew could easily evade the authorities. Over the years, numerous treasure hunters have attempted to locate Lafitte’s loot, but none have succeeded.

Despite the lack of concrete evidence, many believe that Lafitte’s treasure is still out there, waiting to be discovered. Some say that the treasure was buried so deep that it is virtually impossible to find, while others believe that it was moved to a different location altogether.

The mystery surrounding Jean Lafitte’s treasure continues to captivate treasure hunters and history buffs alike, and the allure of striking it rich still draws many to the Louisiana marshes in search of the elusive loot.

Silver currency concept
alexis84 / istockphoto

4. Ted Binion’s Nevada stash

Ted Binion was a wealthy casino heir who inherited a fortune from his father, Benny Binion, the founder of the World Series of Poker. Ted was a prominent figure in the Las Vegas gambling scene, owning several casinos and nightclubs. However, his life took a tragic turn when he was murdered in 1998 at the age of 55.

The story of his hidden treasure begins with a 12-foot-deep vault built by Binion on a piece of property he owned in Pahrump, Nevada. The underground bunker contained six tons of silver bullion, paper currency, Horseshoe Casino chips, and more than 100,000 rare coins, including Carson City silver dollars in mint condition. The estimated value of the coins was between $7 million and $14 million, and they were originally housed in the Horseshoe casino’s vault.

After Binion was banned from the casino, he hired MRT Transport, a trucking company owned by Rick Tabish, to construct the vault. MRT trucks were used to transport the silver to the vault, and the only two people who had the combination to the vault were Binion and Tabish. The vault would play a significant role in the investigation into Binion’s death.

After Binion’s death, his hidden fortune became a subject of great interest. Many rumors suggest that Binion had hidden millions in and around his Las Vegas home, and the riches are rumored to be buried on the property under odd mounds in the front and back yards. Binion’s silver was given to his daughter, and some of it was offered for sale to the public. However, a large portion of the silver remains unclaimed at the courthouse.

5. The Old Ozark Treasure Cave

The Old Spanish Treasure Cave, nestled in the picturesque landscape of the Ozarks in northwest Arkansas, is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. According to legend, Spanish conquistadors who were fleeing from Native Americans over 350 years ago buried their treasures in the cave system. While the location of the treasure remains a mystery, numerous artifacts from the time period such as helmets, weapons, and armor, have been discovered in the area, fueling the belief that the treasure is still hidden somewhere within the cave. Some daring treasure hunters have attempted to explore the cave, but the treacherous terrain and the possibility of hidden traps and dangers have made the task challenging. Despite the challenges, many continue to search for the long-lost treasure, hoping to uncover the secrets that have been hidden within the Old Spanish Treasure Cave for centuries.

Pirate gold
mazartemka/iStock

6. Blackbeard’s Atlantic Coast treasure trove

Blackbeard, the notorious pirate, roamed the waters of the West Indies and Atlantic Coast of North America between 1716 and 1718, preying on ships carrying precious cargo from Mexico and South America back to Spain. His reign of terror was marked by daring attacks and brutal raids, which often yielded a trove of gold, silver, and other treasures. Blackbeard was rumored to have amassed a sizable fortune, but the exact location of his loot remains a mystery.

Despite boasting about his buried treasures, Blackbeard never trusted anyone enough to reveal their whereabouts. His reign of terror came to an end when he was captured and subsequently executed in 1718.

Since then, treasure hunters have been on the hunt for Blackbeard’s hidden fortune, scouring the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and the Caribbean and Cayman Islands. While Blackbeard’s own treasure remains elusive, numerous other underwater treasures have been discovered in these waters. The search for Blackbeard’s treasure continues to this day, as adventurers and historians alike seek to uncover the secrets of one of the most notorious pirates in history.

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