The golden chalice
Diving off Key West in 2008, treasure hunger Mike DeMar discovered a 385-year old gold chalice from the Spanish ship Santa Margarita. The ship sank in 1622 and was full of treasure. Mike DeMar was rewarded with $1 million.

The Boot of Cortez
While detecting in the desert of Senora, Mexico, a man discovered a gold nugget weighing more than 389 troy ounces — roughly 426 traditional ounces. Known as “The Boot of Cortez,” the nugget sold for $1.5 million at auction.

Finger bone and ring
In Little Bighorn, a volunteer archaeologist discovered a finger bone that was still sporting a ring. The bone and ring were said to be from 1876 when Sioux had wiped out the troops of Lt. Col. George Custer.

Gold Iron Age necklaces
In 2009 a Scotsman found four golden necklaces from the Iron Age. The necklaces were in perfect condition and one source said that some of the gold wire used “is the thickness of your finger.” The value of the necklaces was said to be over $2 million, according to hobbyhelp.com

Two-pound meteor
A 13-year-old named Jason Lyons, using a cheap homemade metal detector, came across a 2-pound chunk of space rock in New Mexico. The meteor was said to have remained undiscovered on Earth for 10,000 years.

Pirate’s treasure
In 1952, a real life pirate treasure was uncovered on a tiny island off Nova Scotia by a treasure hunter who was based in Massachusetts. The treasure hunter used old charts and a metal detector to locate the 18th century treasure. When he found it, according to treasurepursuits.com, there were skeletons with one clutching the coins in its hand. It is believed the treasure was from a Spanish galleon that pirates captured in 1725.

Source: treasurepursuits.com and hobbyhelp.com


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