Insanely Expensive Treasures Found Underwater
Ocean Floor Treasure
These treasures found at the bottom of the ocean are so expensive that their value ranges from millions of dollars to up to billions of dollars. With the amount of water covering the earth and the depths of the ocean, it’s surprising that we can even rediscover and salvage anything. But that doesn’t stop divers and marine treasure hunters from going to great lengths to find them.
It’s virtually impossible to know what lies on the expanse of the ocean floor. But these finds may have you diving. Here we have the biggest finds to date ranging from a few million dollars up to a whopping $17 billion for a single find.
The SS Central America
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The ship of gold, The SS Central America sank in 1857 off the coast of the Carolina’s. Carrying so much gold, and then sinking, it sent America into economic crisis. Over 100 years later the ship was rediscovered. The gold inside is valued at $150 million.
The civil war era SS Republic sank in 1865 en route to New Orleans. The ship sank amid a hurricane. $75 million worth of gold was recovered but there is still $140 million worth of gold unaccounted for. How much treasure sank with the Titanic?
The Titanic
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The Titanic was believed to be unsinkable, but hit an iceberg and sank, with many wealthy people aboard and all their valuables. The Titanic holds treasures valued in excess of $200 million. This next ship sank in 1941. The SS Gairsoppa was carrying 110 tonnes of silver. 48 tonnes were recovered, it is said that this ship’s treasures are valued at over $200 million.
At 15,000ft deep, this was the deepest and heaviest recovery of precious metals from a shipwreck ever made. Next, the only 17th-century ship ever recovered and preserved.
The Vasa Warship
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The Vasa Warship sank in 1628 and was salvaged in 1961 with a mostly intact hull. It is said that the Vasa is the only preserved ship left from the 17th century, which is why its estimated value of $300 million is quite fitting. In 1717 The Wydah Gally cargo ship would sink along with its infamous pirate captain Black Sam Bellamy, just 2 months after they captured it with the 4.1 tons of gold, silver, and other treasures.
In 1984 Barry Clifford found the ship, and hundreds of thousands of artifacts have been recovered from the wreck with an estimated value of $400 million.
Nuestra Senora De Atocha
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In 1985, diver Mel Fisher was lucky enough to stumble across gold, copper, silver and precious jewelry from the wreckage of the Nuestra Senora De Atocha, with an estimated value of over $450 million.
This ship sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622 and the excavation is ongoing. In 2007 the private hunting company Odyssey located hoards of gold and silver coins at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the treasure valued at $500m was shipped to Spain after the US government said they had no jurisdiction over the case.
Antikythera
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In 2010 ancient artifacts and treasures were found in a shipwreck off the coast of England that date back to between 900 and 1200 and BC and are worth $800 million. Among the items found was a gold-leaf sword.
Discovered in 1902 off the coast of Greece in a shipwreck is the Antikythera mechanism, a mechanical calculator to forecast stars and planets in accordance to the calendar month — an Ancient Greek analog computer and orrery estimated to be worth $900 million.
The HMS Victory
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The HMS Victory, one of the most lavish navy ships of the time, was discovered in 2009. Carrying a fortune of gold with an estimated value of $1 billion. The Flor De Le Mar, a Portuguese ship, sank in 1511 carrying an estimated $2 billion worth of treasures looted from the Sultan of Malacca’s palace.
The RMS Republic sank in January 1909 when it had a collision with another ship due to foggy weather. It had an onboard value estimated to be worth $5 billion.
Thonis Heracleion
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The city of Thonis Heracleion was wiped out of existence after being submerged in the 8th century AD. The colossal artifacts found here value range between 5-$10 billion.
However, the most expensive underwater treasure discovery ever made was in 2015, off the coast of Columbia. The San Hose had sunk in 1708, only found over 300 years later. In 2018 the findings were made public. The treasure worth a whopping $17 billion.
