Treasure hunting isn’t just the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters; it’s a thrilling reality for some lucky adventurers. What’s even better? You don’t need to venture to distant lands to uncover something extraordinary. Right here in America, folks stumble upon some incredible finds every day, and we’ve compiled ten of the most curious and captivating ones discovered.
Triceratops Skull Discovered in North Dakota’s Hell Creek
Imagine being a 23-year-old college student and stumbling upon a dinosaur skull. That’s exactly what happened to Harrison Duran in 2019. While digging around Hell Creek, North Dakota, with his biology professor, Michael Kjelland, Harrison struck paleo gold. They spotted a horn sticking out of the dirt, and boom—a Triceratops skull! It turns out this skull is 65 million years old. This ancient find is now set to tour various locations for educational purposes.
$800,000 Worth Of Paintings In Kansas
The Columbian Theatre in Wamego, Kansas, holds more than just memories of old performances. Built in 1895 by J.C. Rogers, it featured six murals he nabbed from the Chicago World Fair. Fast-forward a few decades, the abandoned theater and its forgotten artwork were rediscovered. Residents decided to appraise the murals and other paintings, revealing a collection worth $800,000. Not bad for a dusty old music hall!
Revolutionary War Relics Unearthed in Durham, Connecticut
In 2012, some adventurous souls, known as the Yankee Territorial Coinshooters, set their sights on the historic James Wadsworth home in Durham, Connecticut. Armed with trusty metal detectors, they swept the surrounding hills and hit the jackpot. They unearthed a pile of Revolutionary War-era goodies, including coins, buttons, and pipes. These relics are worth some serious cash at auction.
$10 Million in Gold Coins Discovered in California
One fine day in 2014, a California couple out for their usual walk hit the ultimate jackpot. They noticed a rusty can sticking out of the dirt, which astonishingly contained gold coins! They continued to find more cans, amassing $10 million worth of 19th-century gold coins. While the exact location remains a secret, this discovery is the stuff of treasure-hunting dreams.
$1 Million Shipwreck Treasure Discovered in Fort Pierce, Florida
While exploring off the coast of Fort Pierce, the Schmitt family discovered a shipwreck with a 50-foot-long gold chain and a gold filigree pyx. As if that wasn’t enough, they dug up several Spanish gold coins, one of which was made for King Philip V of Spain. These treasures are from one of eleven ships that sank in a 1715 hurricane while transporting New World loot to Spain. The total haul? An astounding $1 million.
An Ancient Shipwreck Sighted In Delaware
In 2004, engineers hit the jackpot (and the history books) when they discovered the Roosevelt Inlet shipwreck off the coast of Lewes, Delaware. This find dates back to the American Revolution and was completely unknown until then. The European commercial vessel was uncovered during a dredging operation and was packed with artifacts from Britain, Holland, Germany, South Africa, and China.
$8 Million Dinosaur Fossils Excavated In Montana
Treasure hunter Clayton Phipps struck prehistoric gold near the Hell Creek Formation, Montana. While exploring a ranch, he discovered fossils that turned out to be from two dinosaurs, now known as the Dueling Dinosaurs. This find, worth between $7 and $9 million, sparked a legal battle over who would profit from it. Ultimately, it was decided that the land’s surface rights owner had the claim. These amazing fossils are now on display at a North Carolina museum.
King Kamehameha II’s Ship Located in Hanalei Bay, Hawaii
King Kamehameha II’s ship met its watery end off Kauai’s north shore, and although the wreck didn’t claim the King’s life, it did turn into a time capsule. Fast forward 170 years, and it was finally discovered at the bottom of Hanalei Bay by a representative from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. This ship held over 1,000 artifacts, including the King’s conch shell horn, ivory, and coins.
Edgar Allan Poe’s First Book Found In New York
While collecting books in the late 1920s, Hollywood producer William Self found the first edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s debut book, Tamerlane and Other Poems. The kicker? Poe didn’t even put his name on it, opting for the mysterious moniker “a Bostonian” instead. The exact location of this find remains a secret, but it later sold at auction for a jaw-dropping $662,500. Talk about a find worth its weight in gold!
Five Classic Muscle Cars Identified In Kentucky
Muscle car enthusiast Patrick Glenn Nichols received a tip about a salvage yard in Kentucky and decided to check it out. He stumbled five classic muscle cars inside vintage tractor-trailers, including a Z28 Camaro, a Pontiac Firebird convertible, and a Big Block SS Chevelle. Despite these incredible finds, the owner had been collecting cars for 40 years and wasn’t keen on selling. At least Nichols got to feast his eyes on some true automotive treasures.
