Pillaging the seven seas, pirates gained a lot of treasure over the years to add to their stockpiles. While some of this gold and jewels were eventually found, some lost pirate treasures are still lost to the waves. If you’ve ever wondered what treasures are still lost and who they belonged to in the past, keep reading for the top five famous lost pirate treasures today.
5. Treasures of Lima
Our fifth selection for lost pirate treasures is the Treasure of Lima, which wasn’t originally a pirate treasure but fell into pirate hands and has not been seen since. The treasure was removed from Lima, Peru as the threat of revolt increased, and was given to British captain William Thompson to bring to safe-keeping. What no one expected was for William Thompson to turn into a pirate and keep the treasure, worth $205 million and spread across 12 chests. The location of the treasure is unknown to this day.
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4. The Hand of Gasparilla
Next on our lost pirate treasures list is The Hand of Gasparilla. José Gaspar was an infamous pirate off the Tampa Bay coast, pillaging from the late 1700s to the early 1800s. Gasparilla’s haul of treasure had a reputation of being massive, but has never been found. Or has it? In the 1930s a Tampa Bay construction worker thought he found the map to find Gasparilla’s treasure in an old box, but when his grandchildren brought the box to the local news in 2015, it was claimed to be no older than the 1920s. This means the treasure is yet to be found, and the legend of Gasparilla’s treasure remains intact.
3. Whydah Galley Treasure
The only “found” treasure on our lost pirate treasures list is the Whydah Galley Treasure. The treasure was lost when a ship named Whydah Galley sank off the coast of Cape Cod in 1717. The ship was commanded by pirate Black Sam Bellamy, one of the most famous pirates in history. When the Whydah Galley sank, it was carrying tens of thousands of gold coins that went down with the ship. It wasn’t until 1984 that a team located the ship’s remnants off the coast of Cape Cod, recovering artifacts worth over $100 million.
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2. Captain William Kidd’s Treasure
One of the most famous pirates in history, it only makes sense that Captain William Kidd owned one of our lost pirate treasures. Starting his career as a privateer, he later turned to a life of piracy across the Indian Ocean before being executed in 1701 for his crimes. Before he died, Kidd claimed to have a treasure stash worth 40,000 British Pounds, though some claim it to be closer to 400,000 British Pounds. Before he died, Kidd tried to use the location of the treasure as a bargaining chip, to no avail. Thus, only around 10,000 Pounds have been discovered, and treasure hunters continue to search for the rest.
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1. Blackbeard’s Treasure
Also known as Edward Teach, Blackbeard’s hoard rounds out our lost pirate treasures list. During his life of piracy, Blackbeard terrorized the West Indies and the east coast of America from the late 17th century to the early 18th century. After years of piracy, Blackbeard’s wealth was thought to be around $12.5 million. On his deathbed, he said the treasure’s location was only known by him and the devil, and 300 years after he died, Blackbeard’s treasure still has not been found.
