The Indian state of Kerala is home to one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to the deity Vishnu. This is a thirty-meter graceful structure, covered with beautiful carvings, and decorated with frescoes inside. The modern temple building was built in the mid-18th century by one of the rulers of Travancore.
Before this, the abode of Vishnu stood on this site for many centuries.
For a long time, the existence of treasures in the hiding place of the building was not even suspected - the discovery was made by accident. The temple was in poor condition and required repairs and better maintenance, about which residents of the city of Thiruvananthapuram complained to the government. As a result, the sanctuary became state property, and its restoration began, during which ancient storerooms were found, which no one had entered for more than a century and a half.
Scholars suggest that the rulers of Travancore deposited their treasures in the temple's storerooms for many centuries. The treasure included many gold and silver items, coins, and precious stones, the total amount of which amounted to 6% of the entire gold fund of India. The treasure is estimated at 22 billion dollars, although sometimes they talk about more impressive amounts - 25 billion. This is the most expensive treasure found in the world.
The most magnificent item found in the storeroom was a statue of Vishnu, cast in gold and decorated with diamonds, more than a meter tall.
Other large treasures
Before the discovery of the treasure of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the most expensive treasure was considered to be the treasure that sank several centuries ago and was found by Odyssey Marine Exploration in 2007. The treasure weighed about 17 tons - mostly coins made of gold about four hundred years ago. Each coin is worth dollars, and the entire treasure was estimated at $500 million.
The third largest treasure is that found on a sunken Spanish galleon near Florida in 1622. Its value is 400 million dollars.
Perhaps the most expensive treasure in history is yet to be found. Many archaeologists and treasure hunters dream of discovering the treasures of the Templars, among which may be the Holy Grail and the treasures of King Solomon, the tomb of Genghis Khan with enormous riches captured in Ancient Rus', China and India, the treasure of a pirate nicknamed Blackbeard, as well as the Ark of the Covenant - it is assumed that gold is also stored in it.
An American couple in California found 8 sealed jars with gold coins, the value of which is estimated at $10 million. Here is a list of major finds and treasures in recent years.
Pirate's Treasure in Florida, 1984
30 years ago, Barry Clifford, a renowned archaeologist specializing in underwater excavations, discovered an 18th-century shipwreck on the shallows of the Cape Cod Peninsula. In its hold they found many valuables, the total weight of which exceeded 5 tons. The treasure was valued at $15 million.
48 tons of silver off the coast of Ireland, 2012
Two years ago, 48 tons of silver were recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The treasure turned out to be the largest find of silver in history. The treasure, worth $38 million, was on board the Gersoppa, a military transport ship that sank in 1941 after being attacked by German submarines.
500 thousand gold and silver coins, 2007
In May 2007, the Odyssey Marine Exploration company, which is engaged in geological exploration on the sea shelves, found a sunken ship near San Francisco. It transported about 500 thousand gold and silver coins.
Ancient Coins of the Caribbean, 2011
Three years ago, a group of Deep Blue Marine researchers from Dominican Republic came across a sunken ship from the 16th century. On it they found about 700 ancient Inca coins, statues and a polished mirror stone.
Soviet platinum on a British ship, 2012
In February 2012, the famous treasure hunter, American Greg Brooks, discovered a British ship that did not deliver a cargo of platinum to New York in 2012. The ship was sunk by a German submarine. The precious metal was payment for supplies of food and equipment under Lend-Lease.
$1.3 billion in Indian temple, 2011
Three years ago, the largest treasure in history was discovered in one of the Hindu temples. Walled up gold was found in the foundations of the Padmanabhaswamy Monastery. The weight of the found objects exceeded 30 tons. At current quotes, the value of the find exceeds $1 billion, or almost 5% of the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves.
150 thousand ancient Roman coins, 2010
In the south of Great Britain, an elderly couple on a walk in the woods came across several coins, which turned out to be part of a giant treasure buried at a depth of only 1 m. In total, about 150 thousand copper and silver coins were discovered, the total weight of which turned out to be more than 160 kg.
Gold and jewels in Staffordshire, 2009
Amateur archaeologist Terry Herbert has found treasures dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. He discovered 5 kg of gold jewelry, 3 kg of silver and several large gemstones. The items included brooches, cutlery and church utensils. The explorer came across the first item while simply walking around a friend's farm.
Dedicated to all those who like to look for other people's property in the earth (and not only) - the largest treasures found from all corners of the earth!
Did you play pirates or robbers as a child? Then you probably at least once drew a map with an “X” sign, and then pretended that you were looking for a valuable treasure - a chest of gold, for example. Well, treasures were indeed found - by random lucky people or true adventurers. Only, unlike your childhood trinkets, these valuables are worth much, MUCH more. The most interesting thing is that sometimes the treasure is practically under our noses.
1. Treasure in the foundation of a building in the city of Środa Śląska
In 1985, builders took on the renovation of the ancient building and discovered a treasure in the foundation dating back to the beginning of the 14th century. The walled vase contained more than 3,000 rare coins, medallions and a golden crown. The find is valued at $150 million. The treasure is currently on display in the Wroclaw Museum.
2. Sunken silver off the coast of Ireland
In 2012, searchers recovered about 48 tons of silver from the ocean floor. The treasure became one of the largest finds of silver. Its cost was estimated at $38 million. The valuable cargo was on a military transport ship that sank after an attack by German submarines. The treasure was found after the British Department of Transport announced a reward.
3. Half a million gold and silver coins near San Francisco
In 2007, Odyssey Marine Exploration, a company that specializes in geological exploration, found a Spanish ship on the shelf. Gold and silver coins were found on board. After the treasure was found, a terrible scandal broke out. The Spanish government demanded that the treasure be returned. And the gold itself was exported from the territory of Peru.
4. Treasure found in the foundation of a temple in India
In 2011, gold was discovered in the foundations of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the value of which is estimated at $22 billion. And it weighed more than 30 tons. The son of the last maharaja was present at the opening of the treasure.
5. A hoard of 50,000 Roman coins dating back to 290 AD. 
The treasure was found in 2010 by David Crisp. He is an amateur treasure hunter. The treasure is estimated at only $5 million. The treasure is most valuable in the historical aspect: this is due to the fact that during this period the Roman Empire was experiencing an economic crisis and the quality of the coins was very low, and the treasure itself represents a four-year salary of a legionnaire. The found coins can be seen in the British Museum.
6. Ship with platinum from the USSR
The cargo with platinum was supposed to be delivered to New York during the Second World War - this platinum was used to pay for “Allied assistance.” But the ship was sunk by a German submarine. It is very difficult to estimate the value of this treasure - according to rough estimates, it is worth $3 billion. It was found by treasure hunter Greg Brooks.
7. Treasure found in Staffordshire
The largest treasure found in England was discovered in 2009. Amateur treasure hunter Terry Herbert found the treasure. Almost all items date back to the 7th century AD. The treasure consists of silver and gold objects, their total weight is 7.5 kg, and the quantity reaches 1,500 pieces. These are weapons, dishes, and also jewelry.
8. Celtic treasures on the island of Jersey
Archaeologists who carried out excavations on the island of Jersey (Britain) discovered a cache of Celtic treasures. The treasure was hidden about two thousand years ago. Most likely, it was hidden from the Roman troops who invaded British Isles. Now the cost of jewelry and coins is estimated at $17 million.
9. Treasures of the Naryshkins in St. Petersburg
The treasure was found during the renovation of the mansion in which the Trubetskoy-Naryshkins lived. During the renovation, a secret room was discovered that was not marked on the building plans. It contained entire deposits of silverware with the coat of arms of the Naryshkin family, awards and jewelry. The dishes have a magnificent appearance because they were in linen cloth soaked in vinegar. This cache was created in 1917. The treasure was valued at 189 million rubles.
10. Rare coins from the German library
In the state library of the town of Passau, cleaner Tanya Hels accidentally discovered rare coins in 2011. Tanya took her find to management. The treasure is estimated at several million euros. This cache contained very rare Byzantine, Greek, and Roman coins. It is believed that this collection was hidden from the authorities in 1803, for the reason that the authorities took away the monastery coins and books for government needs.
11. Treasures found off the coast of Florida, USA
This treasure was found in 1984 by an archaeologist who specializes in underwater excavations. The value of the treasure is estimated at $15 million. He was on a sunken ship built in the 18th century.
12. Treasures of the Spanish "Atocha"
The Atocha galleon was loaded with jewels for two months! With great difficulty, the ship was able to set sail, but it never reached the metropolis. The ship sank off the coast of Florida. The Spanish authorities repeatedly tried to raise the treasure from the bottom, but all attempts were unsuccessful. And only in 1985 Mel Fisher was lucky enough to find the treasure. To find him, Mel created an entire company, Treasurers Salvors Incorporated, and was also able to find investors for financing. When searching for the treasure, Mel's team examined about 120 square meters. miles of seabed. The value of the raised values is estimated at $450 million. It is believed that $500 million worth of valuables were not found from this vessel. And they probably won’t find it anymore...
You know the saying: “Keep your money in savings banks!” Then they and their heirs would retain the right to countless treasures walled up in walls, hidden in mountain crevices, buried in uninhabited islands! On the other hand, many treasure hunters would lose their share of the wealth, and you and I would not be able to read about the 10 largest treasures found in the last century. Let's start the countdown:
1 Treasure $22,000,000,000
The largest treasure in our history was discovered in 2011 in the Sri Padmanambhaswamy Temple, India. Due to its enormous size, the treasure has received only a rough estimate. It was impossible to determine the exact number of jewelry and coins - they were considered bags.
2 Treasure $10,000,000,000
The previous treasure of this magnitude was found in Chile in 2005. The treasure - gold bars packed into 600 barrels - was found at a depth of just 50 meters. Despite the apparent ease of the discovery, it took years of searching by famous treasure hunters, so the success is quite natural.
3
Diamonds, gold and platinum - this is the cargo that was lifted from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean by one American company that really wanted to remain unknown. It didn’t work out, and the whole world, including its former owners – Great Britain and Russia, learned about the fabulous treasure, which was released again in 2009. It is difficult to predict the further fate of the treasure, but most likely it will face a series of lawsuits.
4
This is the amount that the treasures of a Spanish ship that sank off the coast of Colombia more than 300 years ago are valued at. The treasures, most of which are gold and silver bars and jewelry, will go to the state, Colombia's president said. The find was announced in December 2015.
The fate of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, which was sunk two centuries ago off the coast of Portugal, was unfortunate. The treasure ship was found only in 2007. Failures also began to haunt the treasure hunters, who, after recovering the treasure, were forced to give every last coin to Spain, which proved that the treasure was its national treasure.
6 Treasure $450,000 million.
The Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora De Atocha, and with it its treasures - gold and, mainly, emeralds, lay on the seabed for more than 400 years until they were found by a detachment of American treasure hunters. About 500 thousand precious artifacts were recovered from the bottom, among which there were 4,000 emeralds alone.
7 Treasure $400,000 million.
The pirate Black Sam Bellamy plundered and collected a considerable amount on his ship. But the ship was “lucky” to sink with all the treasures, and it was found in 1984. Of course, all the main finds were raised at the same time, but the list of treasures continues to be replenished with new exhibits.
8 Treasure $200,000 million.
A silver treasure was found at the bottom North Atlantic- These are the ingots of the British Ministry, lost at the very beginning of World War II as a result of an attack by a German submarine. This time, the treasure hunters acted under a pre-concluded contract, and 80% of the find was given to them. It is worth noting that the cost of lifting the treasure was considerable, because the treasure had to be retrieved from a depth of 4.6 kilometers.
9 Treasure $190,000 million.
In addition to the many lives lost, the Titanic took with it to the bottom huge treasures belonging to its passengers. Many of them began to appear at auctions soon after the discovery of the shipwreck. The total value of the finds is estimated at 190 million US dollars, but there is still a lot left at the bottom.
10 Treasure $10,000 million.
The infamous Ship of Gold, which sank off the coast of Central America in 1857, caused the Panic of 1857. The financiers had something to be upset about - 14,000 kilograms of pure gold sank with the ship, which were discovered only 131 years later. Most of the treasure was recovered.
Adventurers have long been attracted to treasures, a great number of which are hidden in the depths of the seas, deserts and in ancient hiding places. This is not only an adventurous adventure, but also interesting discoveries that lift the curtains in history, and romance from the past that makes itself known.
The most amazing thing is that not only archaeologists and divers, junk dealers or treasure hunters can find something valuable. Sometimes such a chance comes along and ordinary people. The main thing is that the wealth found is not underestimated!
Here are the most valuable and interesting treasures found in the last decade!
"Treasure of the Naryshkins" in St. Petersburg, 2012
In March 2012, in St. Petersburg, during the restoration of the ancient Trubetskoy-Naryshkin mansion at 29 Tchaikovsky Street, workers found a walled-up room filled with dishes. Most of the devices bore the Naryshkin family coat of arms. The collection was complemented by French knives with mother-of-pearl and porcelain painted handles, several Easter pendants in bulk and on a chain, stored in a case with the Faberge mark, and orders of the Russian Empire - a total of 2,168 items. All items were carefully packed in vinegar-soaked cloth and 1917 newspapers. Apparently, the owners expected to return.
Offerings at an Indian temple, 2011
This is one of the largest treasures in modern history. The treasures hidden in the lower tiers of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple have been valued at $22 billion. This is 6% of India's total gold and foreign exchange reserves. The temple's guardians began filling six underground vaults with donations from the 14th century.
One and a half hundredweight of Roman coins, 2010, Great Britain
The bronze coins were kept in a clay jug, which was located only under a 30-centimeter layer of earth. The treasure was found by an amateur archaeologist. The total value of the coins has not been disclosed.
Gold and jewels in Staffordshire, 2009
The treasure, discovered by Englishman Terry Herbert, consisted of five kilograms of gold, three kilograms of silver and precious stones. The treasure hunter stumbled upon the treasure while exploring the territory of his friend's farm with a metal detector.
Collection of coins from the German library, 2011
A box filled with unique Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins was found among the books of the state library in one of the towns of Lower Bavaria by an ordinary cleaning lady. Perhaps the collection was hidden in 1803 from the authorities, who confiscated coins and books stored in monasteries for the benefit of the state. The cost of the find is several million euros.
17 tons of silver at a depth of 2.5 km, 2011, Atlantic
About 17 tons of silver were discovered on board the British steamship Mantola, which sank in Atlantic Ocean. The ship was wrecked as a result of an attack by the German submarine U-81. The value of the treasure exceeds $19 million. True, no one has yet been able to lift it from such a depth.
Half a million gold and silver coins, 2007
In May 2007, Odyssey Marine Exploration announced the discovery of a sunken ship with 500,000 gold and silver coins on board. The treasure was recovered and shipped to the United States, but the company did not say who owned the sunken ship or where exactly it was found.
48 tons of English silver, 2012, Atlantic
In February 1941, the Gairsoppa was torpedoed by a German submarine. The transport sank 300 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland. There were 85 crew members on board the ship. Only the second mate, Richard Ayers, managed to escape. About 48 tons of silver—1,203 bars—were recovered from the ship.
700 gold coins, 2011, Caribbean
Off the coast of the Dominican Republic, divers from the American organization Deep Blue Marine recovered 700 coins dating back to 1535 and gold jewelry from a sunken ship. The cost of the find is several million dollars.
53 tons of platinum on a British ship, 2012, USA
In 2009, American treasure hunter Greg Brooks announced that he had discovered unimaginable treasures lying on the bottom of a British merchant ship off the American coast, with which Great Britain and the USSR paid for equipment supplied from the United States under Lend-Lease. Then Brooks, fearing competitors, named only the approximate cost of what was found - $3.5 billion, without disclosing the location of the find.
Three years later, Greg Brooks named the ship - Port Nicholson - and clarified that it was sunk by a German submarine. “Our equipment is not sufficient to cope with two to five knots of current, almost zero visibility and difficult open ocean conditions,” Brooks said, complaining that he did not have $2.5 million for suitable underwater equipment. No one has yet succeeded in lifting treasures from the bottom of the ocean.
500-year-old ship with $13 million worth of gold found in the desert, 2016
Namibian diamond miners stumbled upon the wreck of a 500-year-old ship in the desert off the coast. The Portuguese ship Bom Jesus ("Good Jesus") disappeared in 1533 on its way to India. Found under a very impressive layer of sand, the ship rested on the site of an ancient man-made sea lagoon, which has now turned into salt Lake. Gold and silver coins were found in the hold, as well as many elephant tusks. The total value of the goods is estimated at more than $13 million.
The ship was found by diamond miners after draining one of the salt lakes near the Skeleton Coast. Ships are discovered from time to time in these places, but the Portuguese cargo ship is the oldest of all those found and the only one whose cargo is of such value.
Items found on the ship, with a spatula to give an idea of scale: an astrolabe (in the center), a frying pan and some pottery. Things were well preserved. Prayer beads and silver Portuguese coin.
In the holds were found many Spanish, Portuguese and Venetian gold coins, ivory from West Africa, German copper ingots, weapons and, of course, skeletons.
