$500 Million in Coins Discovered in a Shipwreck

Abstract: Hundreds of thousands silver and gold coins worth an estimated $500 million.
The plastic containers packed with the 500,000 coins, which to fetch an average of $1,000 each.
The coins might have come from the wreck of a 17th-century merchant ship found off southwestern England.
Other experts said the condition and value of the coins could vary so much that the price estimate was little more than an educated guess.

Keywords: shipwreck treasure, deep-sea explorers, colonial-era silver, gold coins, shipwreck, coins collectors, rare coin, merchant ship,gold, treasure, Professional Numismatists Guild, artifacts.

18th Century Amber Room Discovered by German Treasure Hunters

Has the Amber Room, the 18th-century chamber decoration the Nazis stole from the Soviet Union in World War II, finally been found? German treasure hunters say they may have solved the decades-old mystery.

Treasure hunters in Germany claim they have found hidden gold in an underground cavern that they are almost certain contains the Amber Room treasure, believed by some to have been stashed away by the Nazis in a secret mission in the dying days of World War II.

The discovery of an estimated two tonnes of gold was made at the weekend when electromagnetic pulse measurements located the man-made cavern 20 meters underground near the village of Deutschneudorf on Germany's border with the Czech Republic.

The team, which used heavy digging equipment, hasn't been inside the room but analysis of the electromagnetic test has led it to believe that the cavern contains gold.

Was the Blackbeard's Treasure Really Found?

In news that should make pirate fans weep for joy and ninja fans cringe, researchers now believe they have found the wreckage of Blackbeard’s famous ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, in the briny depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Blackbeard, known as Edward Thatch or Edward Teach, is thought to have run around near Beaufort Inlet, South Carolina. The wreck was first discovered in 1996, but is now only conclusively thought to have belonged to the world’s most famous pirate.

One of the most interesting facts about the find on the Queen Anne’s Revenge is that it contained not just gold and silver coins (though it had those), but it also contained a great deal of looted equipment. Apothecary weights, a mortar and pestle, and even some nautical navigation equipment were recovered from the boat. Apparently, useful tools were very popular among pirates, because they could be resold easily to other sailors and pirates, whereas used gold teeth wouldn’t be easy to get rid of. I guess it’s the 1600’s equivalent of a chop shop.

Since we’re feeling a little nautical now, why not share one of my favorite Flogging Molly songs? It’s called, appropriately enough, Queen Anne’s Revenge.---www.popfi.com