exрɩoгe the remarkable treasures ᴜпeагtһed in every US state, һіɡһɩіɡһtіпɡ the rich history and surprising wealth hidden beneath the surface.

Treasures from across America

From gemstones found in a Hawaiian shipwreck to hidden paintings inside an abandoned Kansas theater, we’ve rounded up a state-by-state guide to the most exciting treasures from across America.

Read on to explore the incredible stories behind these one-of-a-kind finds – and to unearth your state’s most amazing historic haul.

Alabama: gold coins

The biggest Alabama treasure discovery took place in the city of Demopolis (pictured) back in the spring of 1926.

According to a report in The New York Times, Gayus Whitfield used “papers” left behind by his father to locate a stash of gold coins that had been buried before the American Civil War.

Whitfield hired a team of 35 people to help him undertake the search. Just one week later, the stash of coins was found in an old can “that crumbled to the touch.”

While Whitfield didn’t reveal the total amount that was found, it was estimated to be worth $200,000 at the time, equivalent to $3.5 million in today’s money. Local papers estimated there were nine other heirs who’d expect Whitfield to share out his newfound wealth.

Alaska: sunken gold

In 1901, a luxury steamship called the SS Islander sank off the coast of Alaska. The ship, and its route through the Inside Passage, had become popular with wealthy businessmen, particularly those with a stake in the Klondike goldfields.

Unsurprisingly, reports of the potentially lost gold attracted salvage efforts, but they were futile due to the shipwreck’s depth and the era’s poor diving technology. A team was able to locate the hull in 1934, recovering gold worth an estimated $75,000 ($2.6 million in today’s dollars).

Fast-forward to 1996, and sonar technology was able to locate the bow before a legal fiasco entangled the two different companies that wanted to salvage the site.

It was only in 2012 that recovery missions were able to uncover more gold. This time, the find was worth nearly $2 million at face value, although it sold at auction in 2016 for an impressive $4 million due to its historical importance. Many speculate that there’s still gold to be found in the sunken bow.

Arizona: the Tucson Crosses

Widely regarded as one of the top states for buried treasure, Arizona is rife with tales of abandoned gold thanks to its history in mining and attracts thousands of treasure hunters each year.

One of the most notable treasure finds in the Copper State’s history was the discovery of the mysterious Tucson Crosses in 1924. The ancient lead crosses (pictured) are engraved with Latin and Hebrew inscriptions, and have been a source of controversy for decades. The artifacts’ religious significance has sparked conspiracy theories about the potential presence of ancient Europeans in America before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. Meanwhile, other people have dismissed the crosses as hoaxes, with some believing them to have been crafted in the late 19th century by a sculptor named Timotéo Odohui.

Arkansas: a literary treasure hunt

In perhaps one of the most unusual treasure hunting cases of all time, a family of four discovered buried treasure in Arkansas after following clues from a novel.

Breakfast Tea & Bourbon by Peter Bissonette sparked a nationwide treasure hunt in 2017 after readers realized the clues in the book were real. In the novel, a group of friends drive off in an old RV in search of the treasure; in real life, the Lothrop family from Texas found $50,000 in an undisclosed location in Hot Springs National Park, Arizona.

However, author Bissonette claims the real prize is actually access to the self-improvement techniques featured within his book…

California: a pot of gold

In 2013, a Californian couple found a literal pot of gold while walking on a footpath they’d used for years.

After noticing that a half-buried rusty can on the side of the path contained a stash of gold coins, the couple returned to the site, finding more cans (and more coins) with each trip.

The total hoard comprised more than 1,400 gold coins dating back to the 1800s, with an estimated value of $10 million.

Both the location of the land and the couple’s identity have been kept secret, but the treasure has been dubbed the “Saddle Ridge Hoard” after a unique identifying feature on the couple’s property.

Colorado: a 13.5lb gold nugget

In 1887, gold prospectors Tom Groves and Harry Lytton hit the jackpot when they discovered a 13.5lb nugget of gold near Breckenridge, Colorado.

According to legend, Tom wrapped it up and carried it into town, showing it off like the proud parent of a newborn child. It quickly became known as “Tom’s Baby.”

What happened next isn’t known for certain, but Groves and Lytton are said to have given the nugget to the local mine owner who paid them for their discovery, and Tom’s Baby was put on the train to Denver.

For some reason the chunk of gold was assumed to be lost until the early 1970s, when it was finally found in a vault owned by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, albeit 2lb lighter. Tom’s Baby has been on display at the museum since 1974.

Connecticut: Revolutionary War items

There are vast amounts of treasure to be found in Connecticut – although we’re not talking about gold and gemstones.

Various groups of metal detector enthusiasts regularly get together to find historical artifacts from days gone by across the state. In 2012, one such group, the Yankee Territory Coinshooters, found a stash of goods dating back to the Revolutionary War period.

The haul was uncovered at a property named James Wadsworth House in Durham, Connecticut. The property is believed to have been built in 1709.

Delaware: sunken treasures from a shipwreck

It isn’t just hobbyists who are on the prowl for buried treasure. Archeologists are getting in on the act, too – especially along the eastern seaboard in states such as Delaware, which is home to hundreds of shipwrecks along its coast.

A dredging project in 2004 uncovered artifacts from a sunken ship that dated back to the 1770s (later known as the Roosevelt Inlet shipwreck), near Lewes. Two years later, archeologists discovered the remains of the actual ship, which is inaccessible due to its location in a wildlife reserve. However, many of the artifacts have been retrieved and are on display at a local museum.

Florida: long-lost Spanish gold

In 1715, a fleet of Spanish ships laden with treasure were wrecked in a hurricane and thought to be lost forever.

Unbelievably, one ship’s contents was discovered 300 years later by a family from Florida. The Schmitt clan quite literally struck gold several times at the wreck site, discovering gold coins and even a gold chain that measured 40 feet long. In total, the clan’s discoveries are worth more than $1 million in today’s money.

The Schmitts shared the haul with the State of Florida, as well as with the salvage company that holds the site’s lease for excavation and recovery.

Georgia: signs of an ancient homestead

While Georgia is perhaps best known for its myths about lost Civil War treasures, a more recent discovery in the Peach State is actually related to artifacts that are more than 1,000 years old.

The historic items were found at the Duckett Mill farm, near Gainesville, after a student spotted broken pottery in his grandfather’s cornfield and alerted his anthropology professor. This led to the excavation of the site by the student’s university, with support from the local enthusiasts of the Blue Ridge Archaeology Guild.

This photo shows finds from a similar project the two organizations worked on together. At the Duckett Mill site, discoveries included unusually shaped pottery and signs of an ancient homestead.

Hawaii: royal treasure

Between 1995 and 2002, treasure hunter Richard Rogers worked alongside scientists from the Smithsonian Institution to recover a ship that had been owned by King Kamehameha II (1797-1824), the second king of Hawaii.

The vessel had been wrecked in 1824, meaning it had taken almost two centuries for the gold, silver, precious gemstones, and various ancient items that were onboard to be rediscovered.

But while the haul could be worth millions, experts say the historical impact is the most priceless aspect of all. The artifacts have been displayed at the Smithsonian but, since 2015, have a permanent home at the Kauai Museum in Hawaii.

Idaho: a rare silver coin

Growing up in California, Brandon Neice became interested in gold prospecting. The hobby stuck with him into adulthood and, after moving to Idaho, it became his career.

On his DrTones24K YouTube channel, Neice shares his treasure hunting adventures with millions of followers. Among the gold nuggets, meteorites, and ancient coins he’s found around the world, one of the most exciting treasures he’s discovered was located in his very own home state.

In 2014, he found a 1901 S Barber Quarter, considered by many to be one of the rarest silver coins in America. Neice put the quarter up for auction in 2015, making himself $6,251 in the process.

Illinois: another literary treasure trail

In 1983, a group of teenagers started digging holes in Chicago’s Grant Park.

Although they were aware that people might be suspicious of their behavior, they actually had a very good reason. The teens were hoping to find buried treasure after following a series of clues that had been shared in a recently published puzzle book called The Secret: A Treasure Hunt.

Author Byron Preiss buried 12 ceramic casks with clues that can be found in the book’s verses and paintings. For those who could solve the puzzles and unearth a cask, a jewel awaited them.

The Chicago teens eventually found the cask and received an emerald worth $1,000 for their efforts. That’s around $4,500 in today’s money.

Indiana: 42,000 artifacts and historic bones

When it comes to treasure, Indiana has become synonymous with the mysterious story of Don Miller.

A member of the Army Reserve, Miller spent much of his life traveling the world and illegally amassed a stash of 42,000 priceless artifacts in the process. In 2014, when Miller was in his early 90s, a SWAT team (including a helicopter) from the FBI Art Crime Department surrounded his farm to investigate what exactly he was hoarding.

The uncovered haul included cultural artifacts and figurines from China (pictured), all of which had to be returned. The FBI also discovered around 2,000 human bones, which had been taken from Native American burial sites. Miller died nearly a year after the raid and was never charged.

Iowa: Devonian fossils

Stories of long-lost Native American riches and sunken riverboats rich with treasure have haunted Iowa for centuries.

These rumors attract countless metal detector hobbyists to the state every year and, while the most infamous treasures remain lost, there have been many instances of treasure hunters making remarkable discoveries.

One particularly impressive find was a set of fossils dating back 375 million years to the Devonian Period. The bones were recovered at the Devonian Fossil Gorge and are shown here.

Kansas: long-lost artwork

Treasure can be found in the most unexpected places, as the residents of small-town Wamego, Kansas found out in 1992.

Wamego’s Columbian Theater was opened in 1895 as a music hall by builder J C Rogers, who originally decorated the interiors with six paintings sourced from Chicago’s 1893 World Fair.

The theater was abandoned in the 1950s, but the artwork remained, along with 15 other paintings.

When local residents discovered the paintings in the early 1990s, they were astonished to find they were worth $800,000. The twist? The creatives behind the pieces of art are unknown and it’s only thanks to their historical significance that they’re worth a fortune.

Kentucky: rare muscle cars

It’s not always a case of finders, keepers; sometimes the objects that tempt treasure hunters can never be theirs.

A great example of this is the tale of Patrick Nichols, a Clarksville muscle car enthusiast who found a stash of rare vehicles in a Kentucky salvage yard. Nichols made it his life’s mission to find and rescue vintage cars from the scrapheap, and heard rumors about a particular stash of abandoned muscle cars.

When he finally identified the owner and obtained permission to visit the yard, Nichols discovered the rumors were true. He found several classic muscle cars, including a Big Block SS Chevelle and a Pontiac Firebird Convertible, but unfortunately couldn’t convince the owner to sell up.

Louisiana: copper and gold ingots

Cargo ship El Nuevo Constante set sail from Spain in 1766 and encountered a storm less than two weeks later, which caused irreparable damage.

The captain turned north and ran the ship aground in about 10ft of water, roughly a quarter mile off the Louisiana coast. All the passengers and crew fortunately survived, but while some cargo was recovered, some was lost to the depths of the water.

In 1979, Texan shrimper Curtis Blume discovered the ship’s remains off the coast of Louisiana, uncovering copper and gold ingots while exploring the wreck. Eventually, the State of Louisiana took over the site and the artifacts.

Maine: a bronze medallion

Maine resident Guy Marsden first discovered his passion for metal detecting in 2017 after watching the British television show Detectorists.

In just a few years, he’s netted a haul of jewelry, Civil War relics, and rare coins. After learning the ins and outs of the hobby via YouTube videos, Marsden has become one of the state’s most prolific detectorists.

His biggest find was a 1907 bronze medallion, which he found buried at an undisclosed historic farmhouse (similar to the one pictured here, photographed in 1900) and subsequently donated to a local historical society.

Want to learn more? Visit Marsden’s blog, Guy Digs It Up where he tells the stories behind his finds.

Maryland: hidden gold coins

In 1934, at the height of the Great Depression, Theodore Jones and Henry Grob found a gold coin while digging in the dirt cellar of their Baltimore rowhouse.

The teens started searching the whole cellar and found 3,558 gold coins in total, worth a face value of $11,200 ($250,000 today). The boys intended to split the hoard and deposit the coins in the bank. However, family members advised them to go to the cops instead. When news of the discovery got out, people claiming ownership of the gold began to flood the local courts, while similar declarations from previous owners led to legal disputes.

In 1935, the coins were sold at auction for $20,000 and the boys received $6,000 ($130,000 today) from the proceeds, under the agreement that they could collect their money once they turned 21. Sadly, Grob died of pneumonia before hitting the milestone.

Massachusetts: a hidden cashbox

While preparing to sell her house, a woman contacted metal detectorist and treasure hunter Keith Wille, of the YouTube channel Rediscover Lost.

For reasons unknown, the unnamed woman’s grandfather had hidden cashboxes around properties belonging to the family, several of which had been found by relatives. Assuming there might be riches stashed in her home, which had previously been owned by an aunt and uncle, the woman had spent years trying to locate the potential windfall, even hiring a construction contractor to pull up floorboards in the attic.

With the house soon to be on the market, hiring Wille was a final attempt to discover the cash – and it worked. Wille used a metal detector and a range of high-tech tools to locate a metal cashbox, which contained $46,000 and was dated to a bank transaction in 1958.

Michigan: an 11-carat diamond

Arguably the best treasure ever found in Michigan, this particular discovery is cloaked in mystery.

At some point in 1894, Dowagiac resident Isaac Wells found a suspicious-looking stone during a trip to the city’s gravel pit. Wells had the local jeweler Frank Blackmond send the gem off to Tiffany’s, and the famous New York company confirmed it to be an 11-carat diamond.

The details of what happened next are a little hazy, but by the 1950s, the Dowagiac Diamond had been cut into four stones, all of which had been placed in rings that were owned by the Blackmond family. This photo shows one such ring.

It’s said to be the only diamond ever found in Michigan – and there’s no way of knowing how it got there…

Minnesota: pre-Prohibition booze

Mary Shanesy wasn’t sure what to expect when contractors working on her Minneapolis home in 2010 called to tell her the most “amazing thing” had happened.

Hidden inside a wall within the property’s attic, the workers had found a stash of pre-Prohibition alcohol, including bottles, jugs, and full cases of high-end wine and spirits, all dating back around a century. It was later discovered that Shanesy’s house had previously been owned by Karl Gluek of the Gluek Brewing Company.

Shanesy gave the jugs to the workers who found the stash. The bottles, meanwhile, were donated to the nearby Hennepin History Museum, which held an auction that raised thousands of dollars courtesy of bidders as far away as London and New York.

Mississippi: lost work of a forgotten writer

Imagine buying a character-rich abandoned building only to discover that it was filled with unpublished work by a once-famed writer.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Roy and Elena Segers from Brookhaven, Mississippi, who purchased the property with plans to convert it into a bed and breakfast in 2006. The couple were stunned to find thousands of poems, a few plays, and a couple of complete novels, all penned by the writer and actress Tallulah Ragsdale (pictured).

The house has since changed ownership again, with even more items unearthed during renovation work. Among them are poker chips, a 48-star US flag, and even vials of blood that are thought to date back to the historic house’s time as an infirmary.

Missouri: a steamship under a cornfield

Folklore became reality when a mysterious sunken steamship was discovered under a cornfield in Malta Bend, Missouri.

For generations, tales have been told about ghostly vessels lost at the bottom of the Missouri River. In 1988, Bob Hawley (pictured) and his sons located the steamboat Arabia, which was located 45 feet underground and less than a mile away from the present-day river channel.

Inside was 200 tons worth of cargo, which had sunk along with the boat back in September 1856. In fact, so much treasure was discovered that the Hawleys founded the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City and have since collaborated with other treasure hunters in a bid to locate more lost steamships.

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