Lost Treasures That Have Never Been Found to This Day

There’s an old saying that X marks the spot. It means that beneath the X is a priceless treasure with gold, jewels, and diamonds fit for a king or queen. There’s only one problem: finding the X. For centuries, pirates, treasure hunters, and collectors have searched the world for various supposed hidden treasures. The location of some lost treasures never found remains a baffling mystery.

Some treasures became lost in time due to incompetence, while on the other hand, pirates, bandits, and outlaws often buried their stolen treasure, intending to return later. Of course, they rarely return because they either go to jail or die at the hands of the authorities. At other times, treasure hunters actually find the mysterious chest but leave the treasure and keep the location secret. Here’s a look at 16 buried treasures nobody has ever found.

1. The Fern Treasure

A 12th-century chest full of gold, gemstones, rare coins, and jewelry is somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Known as the Fern Treasure, it’s been the subject of several treasure hunts. It all started in 1988 when art dealer, author, and Vietnam War veteran Forrest Fenn discovered he had cancer. Inspired by his terminal illness, Fenn hid a treasure chest in the Rocky Mountains near Santa Fe, New Mexico. His goal was to create a public treasure hunt for his $2 million fortune. 

Fenn recovered from his illness and wrote The Thrill of the Chase: A Memoir in 2010. The memoir contained hints and clues to the location of the treasure, setting off an epic treasure hunt in the Rocky Mountains in Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, and Santa Fe.

The search created great controversy after several people died searching for the treasure. Finally, in June 2020, Michigan medical student Jack Stuef found the treasure in Wyoming. He even took a picture of the chest and sent it to Fenn for confirmation. Out of respect for Fenn, Stuef will not disclose the treasure’s location, which remains hidden. Fenn died in September 2020, a few months after the discovery. 

2. Treasure of Lima

The buried treasure of Lima remains one of the world’s great mysteries. In the 1820s, the Spanish Empire feared an uprising from its South American colonies. Since occupying Lima, they amassed a considerable fortune of gold, jewels, candlesticks, and even two life-size gold statues of Mary holding the baby Jesus. Fearing the loss of their riches, they agreed to move the treasure to Mexico for safeguarding. At that time, the treasure had a value of $60 million but is closer to $208 million today.

They enlisted the help of Captain William Thompson and his crew, however, Thompson went rogue, turning pirate and taking off with a small fortune. According to legend, Thompson and his men sailed to Cocos Islands to bury the treasure. Then they split up and planned to wait until the heat died down before returning to the treasure. Upon their return, Spain captured the crew and executed everyone except for Thompson and the first mate. Thompson struck a deal to take them to the treasure. Once they arrived at Cocos Islands, Thompson escaped into the jungle. Rumors suggest he snuck off to Newfoundland. Whatever happened, Thompson and the treasure disappeared forever and nobody has ever managed to find it.  

3. Temple Menorah

The Hebrew Bible describes the gorgeous seven-candelabrum used in the Temple of Jerusalem. The 1st-century menorah also sat in Solomon’s Temple and the Second Jewish Temple. Made from pure gold, the Romans stole the menorah from Jerusalem in 70 CE after destroying the Second Temple.

It was briefly on display in Rome but soon disappeared from the face of the Earth. The menorah’s history becomes hazy at that point. Experts speculate that it was melted, destroyed, or hidden by the Vatican. The Menorah’s location remains a persistent mystery. 

4. The Dutchman’s Lost Mine

There are many tales of lost mines in America. These famous mines contain endless amounts of gold and treasure. The most famous is the Dutchman’s Lost mine. According to legend, the lost mine is somewhere in the United States. Many claim it’s in the Superstition Mountains near Apache Junction in Arizona. There are several versions of what happened, but the most popular story combines all three.

Initially, only members of the former Governor of New Mexico Pedro de Peralta’s family knew of the mine’s location. At some point in the 1860s, a German emigrant, Jacob Waltz, relocated to Arizona and saved one of Peralta’s family’s lives, so they rewarded him with directions to the lost mine.

Unfortunately for Waltz, a group of Apache Indians murdered him moments after discovering the mine. On his deathbed, he gave the directions to Julia Thoma, but in reality, Waltz died of pneumonia due to a flood and there is no knowledge of him ever having found the mine. The location of the Dutchman’s lost mine remains one of America’s great mysteries. 

5. Dillinger’s Treasure

John Dillinger is one of America’s most mythical gangsters. During the Great Depression, Dillinger and his gang robbed 24 banks and three police stations. He became the target of a massive police chase and his notoriety resulted in the creation of the FBI. Dillinger famously died on July 22, 1934, during a police sting as he walked to the movie theatre. 

Dillinger had a reputation for escaping police custody more than once. The last time he pulled off an escape was a few weeks before his death. Police had Dillinger cornered, but he managed to evade capture once again. He had roughly $25,000 to $200,000 in cash at the time. It slowed him down, so he returned to his parent’s farm and buried the money in various spots. Dillinger didn’t get the chance to return to his farm but his family still owns the property and has searched for the treasure for many years without success.

6. Captain William Kidd’s Lost Treasure 

Captain William Kidd is another of history’s controversial figures. To some, he was a simple privateer trying to make a living, but to others, Kidd was a ruthless pirate who looted and robbed for a living. In 1696, the British empire funded Kidd’s voyage and requested that he attack anyone associated with pirates and French Ships. However, the Crown betrayed Kidd and labeled him as a pirate. 

Upon his return, the Crown executed him after his trial. Adding to Kidd’s legend, he supposedly buried his pirate treasure before his return. The myth of the treasure grew in popularity, with various people searching Gardiner’s Island in New York, Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy, and Oak Island in Nova Scotia. None were successful, with Kidd’s famous hidden treasure still lost.

7. The Amber Room

In 1701, construction began on the magnificent Amber Room. With statues of angels and children, the room featured more than 900 panels of amber, carvings, mirrors, gemstones, and gold leaf. Today, the room is likely worth between $145 million and $500 million. In 1716, the Prussian King Fredrick William I gifted the room to Tsar Peter The Great to solidify their alliance against Sweden. 

The Russian Empire installed the stunning Amber Room in the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. It remained in the palace until the Nazi army robbed and looted the location. Adolf Hitler had the army bring the room back to Konigsberg castle for installation. As the Allied Forces gained momentum in the war, Hitler ordered the room dismantled and stored in the basement. After the Allied Forces bombed the castle, the room disappeared and its current whereabouts are a mystery to everyone involved. 

8. Mosby’s Treasure 

The myth of Mosby’s gold continues to grow. During the American Civil War, John S. Mosby became a respected commander of the Confederacy. Nicknamed the Gray Ghost, he was famous for his stealth and ability to disappear. He led his unit, the Mosby’s Rangers, into many successful campaigns. In the 1860s, the Mosby’s Rangers invaded Fairfax, Virginia. They looted and robbed the town of roughly $350,000, which is worth millions today. 

On the return journey, word got back that the Union Army was nearby. Not wanting to lose the treasure, Mosby and one of his sergeants split from the Rangers and hid the treasure in the woods between two pine trees. After losing the Civil War, Mosby worked for his former enemy President Ulysses S. Grant. However, Mosby never returned to claim his fortune. Rumors suggest he sent the sergeant and a few others to find the treasure, but the Union Army caught them. According to legend, the treasure is still outside Washington near Reston and Route 522.

9. Dutch Schultz Hidden Treasure 

In the 1920s, ruthless mobster Dutch Schultz rose to power in New York City. He was the king of the bootleggers and built a criminal empire. However, prosecutor Thomas Dewey made bringing Schultz to justice his priority in the 1930s. Fearing he could go to prison for tax evasion, Schultz hid a strongbox containing gold coins, diamonds, and bundles of thousands of dollars. The treasure was worth roughly $7 million but is closer to $50 million today. 

According to the legend, Shultz had bodyguards Lulu Rosencrantz and Marty Krompier bury the treasure somewhere in Phoenicia, New York. Lulu carved an “X” in the tree near the treasure. After enduring two trials, Schultz defied the Commission’s orders and made an attempt on Dewey’s life, so the commission gunned down Schultz and his bodyguard. Schulz rambled about his supposed hidden treasure on his deathbed before succumbing to his injuries. Many have searched for the treasure but have been unable to find it.

10. The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor 

The incredible Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Shi Huang is an amazing piece of ancient architecture. Constructed between 246 and 206 BCE, it includes gold, diamonds, jewels, artifacts, and the tomb of the Emperor. After the Emperor united the Warring States to create a unified China, he began work on his grave. It took roughly 38 years to construct the iconic site. In the mid-70s, archeologists rediscovered the Mausoleum. 

Evidence suggests it took approximately 700,000 workers to build the giant grave. At the very center is the Emperor’s tomb, surrounded by artifacts, art, and gold. The builders used mercury to create two artificial rivers and a series of traps to protect the treasure. Not even Indiana Jones could safely escape these dangerous traps. Despite being built centuries ago, the traps are still fully functional and archeologists cannot enter the Mausoleum to evacuate the area further. 

11. Nazi Gold

During World War II, the Nazis had a reputation for looting residences, museums, and government buildings in the many countries they invaded. They also robbed and looted the people of Germany, especially the ones sent to concentration camps. They amassed a giant fortune of gold, diamonds, platinum, and art. Toward the end of the war, the Nazi party realized they were on the losing end and feared the Allied Forces getting hold of their treasure. At that point, they started sending their fortune to many banks overseas. Rumors also suggest that they buried much of it.

According to legend, the Nazis hid a large portion of the fortune deep in Lake Toplitz in the Austrian Alps. The Nazis used the area as a testing sight and hid a large amount of counterfeit money in the lake. In 1959, divers discovered the fake money, which Hitler planned to use to weaken his enemy’s economy. That discovery strengthened the idea that the Nazi treasure was somewhere in the lake. However, the lake is full of logs and other debris making it impossible to dive deep to discover the gold. 

12. King John’s Lost Treasure

In the tale of Robin Hood, King John is a greedy, petty, and ruthless villain. Robin Hood is a thorn in King John’s side, standing up to his taxes and unfair treatment. While Robin Hood is a fictional character, King John takes inspiration from the real John, King of England. He ruled over England from 1199 to 1216. Unlike his predecessors, history doesn’t view John favorably. He lost much of England’s power and control over French lands. He also engaged in a series of losing wars with France and his own nobles. 

However, John, King of England is also famous for losing a large amount of the Crown Jewels. During a campaign to regain England’s power, John got word that the King of Scotland, Alexander II, had invaded the Northern part of England. John decided to retrace his steps to confront Alexander. On his journey back, John had to pass a tidal estuary known as the wash. History becomes a little hazy, but John lost most of the Crown Jewels. Consumed with whirlpools and quicksand, John lost his baggage train containing the crown jewels plus several horses. Not long after, King John died.

13. Custer’s Gold

George Armstrong Custer is a controversial historical figure. At times he’s portrayed as the fearless idol betrayed by his underling’s incompetence leading to his heroic death. On the other hand, he’s seen as the bumbling leader who made costly decisions leading to his death during the Battle of Little Bighorn. Whichever way you look at it, his death isn’t the only thing that happened during that historic battle, with Custer and his men believed to have lost a fortune.

Despite graduating at the bottom of his class, Custer was a successful Confederate commander during the American Civil War. After reconstruction, he served as a commander during the American Indian Wars. He famously died at the Battle of Little Bighorn after making a tactical error.

According to folklore, Custer and his unit rode out to battle with several months’ worth of back pay, roughly $25,000. After their death, the Native American Indians buried the money from the fallen soldiers nearby. To this day, treasure hunters have searched high and low for the supposed treasure without luck. 

14. Tiburcio Vasquez

There have been many outlaws in history that were both loved and hated, however, few compare to the Bandido Tiburcio Vasquez. he’s undoubtedly one of history’s most notorious outlaws. He robbed numerous banks, stagecoaches, and civilians from the mid-1850s until he died in 1875. He remains an iconic figure in Los Angeles, with multiple locations named after him. 

One location nobody can find is his supposed hidden treasure. One year before his death, Vasquez tortured a wealthy Italian immigrant on his 5,000-acre land. He beat the ranch owner until he gave up $40,000 worth of gold and silver. As Vazquez and his bandits escaped, the sheriff arrived and pursued the gang. The gang quickly buried the treasure somewhere on the property but neither the owner, authorities, nor treasure hunters could locate the loot. To this day it remains a mystery.