pirate treasure found
According to legend, pirate treasure reportedly worth 100 million is buried on an Indian Ocean island. When he heard about Custers defeat, Marsh apparently decided to bury his gold on the bank of the river; otherwise, he wouldnt have been able to take on the extra weight of wounded soldiers. Maritime archaeologists and historians say theyre intrigued but remain skeptical, mostly because hes been disproved on other finds. Its fate is unknown, and it remains one of the most highly-sought missing religious artifacts in the world. Peering closer, the Arabic text on the coin got his pulse racing. More:A $500 cash reward? He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. For archaeologists researching the notorious pirates flagship, every clue is priceless. A man by the name of Barry Clifford began his search for the ship and its treasure chests in 1982, after hearing stories of the wreck as a child. In 1993, French writer Max Valentin buried a golden owl somewhere in France. With their Confederacy collapsing around them in 1865, the leaders of that doomed pseudo-state fled Virginia. The original contained 2,930 diamonds. He and his gang used to lay low on the property, and many people believe they hid their loot there as well or at least nearby. What exactly they hid down there remains unknown because the cache is largely unrecovered, but most people believe theres a fortune to be found. If these numbers signify a date, 1730, it would be the death knell for the Blackbeard theory. Unfortunately, the ship carrying the relics of Menkaure sunk on its journey, taking all the kings treasures into the deep. The boat was also armed to the teethexcavators have recovered some 225,000 pieces of lead shot and identified at least 25 cannons (though La Concorde carried only 16, the pirates would likely have added some of their own). When Blackbeard held Charleston, North Carolina, hostage in 1718, he demandedand receiveda chest of medicines in exchange for lifting his blockade. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/pirate-treasure-2136278. Keep connected with the Cape. A Warner Bros. The huge discovery was made in 2015, though details of the find were kept under wraps until 2018. He said he had something big to discuss with them and asked if they might fly to Miami to hear him. But after nearly 300 years in the North Carolina shallows, the remains of what may be the Queen Annes Revenge are surfacing, plank by worm-eaten plank. The whys and wherefores are a little unclear, but at the same time Custer was getting himself and his men killed, Captain Grant Marsh was sailing up the Bighorn River with supplies and reinforcements. Want more inspiring, positive news? Who cares about a bunch of dimes? Well, the dimes lost are among the rarest and most valuable in U.S. history, and could be worth millions today. Bailey, who keeps his most valuable finds not at his home but in a safe deposit box, says hell keep digging. Their ships were often put to hard use, meaning that they were in constant need of new sails, ropes, rigging tackle, anchors, and other things necessary for the day-to-day maintenance of a wooden sailing vessel. However, his body was not interred there. But researchers say the figure more likely refers to an antiquated weight system or perhaps a catalog number. Whydah Pirate Museum sponsors Cape-wide treasure hunt. Pirate-friendly towns such as Port Royal, Jamaica, or Nassau, Bahamas, had many unscrupulous merchants willing to make such deals. During the so-called Golden Age of piracy, which lasted roughly from 1700 to 1725, hundreds of pirate ships plagued the waters of the world. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Treasure hunters weathered storm to find bamboo bottle in Falmouth. One of the most sacred of all has been missing since 191 AD. Big whoop, I hear you say. More common in fiction than in reality, "pirate treasure maps" are often depicted in works of . He and his men were meant to take all that Spanish gold north to Mexico for safekeeping. That might not be as big a pay out as some of the treasures on the list, but how cool would it be to find a piece of Butch Cassidys legacy? "I have found the mental . While its ultimate fate is unknown, it was most likely smuggled to South America, recut and resold. Same thing happens with emeralds, Daniel says. Because of the new wireless technology, the crew were able to radio for help, saving most of the passengers lives. The whole collection included about 6 tons of amber. Split the playing field into equal parts, one for each team; mark boundaries with cones, chalk, tape, etc. The prefect of the city therefore entrusted this great treasure to a sailor from Newfoundland named Captain John Thompson. Rare coins, a ship bell, and other artifacts helped confirm the identity of the ship; and its treasures are. At least one has iron bolts in its bore, and there are other suggestions of deck-clearing ammunition, like the remains of canvas bags full of broken glass, nails and other shrapnel. She stormed through the lab, peeling tarps off cannons with such ardor that Blackbeard might have welcomed her aboard. If no one found it by then, the entire "treasure" would go to a nonprofit of the Whydahs choice. Well, the Russian tsars used to have a tradition of giftingFaberg eggs to their wives (or mistresses). What Did People Wear in Medieval England? The museums contents represent over a dozen countries on four continents but the skeletons might tell new stories about the men who called the ship home. However, the ship was badly damaged in a storm and taken by pirates, who offloaded the treasure and surviving seamen onto their own vessel. A proper Englishman would not do that, says Jim Craig, the head geologist for the project. Defoe, Daniel. And in death, hes the subject of a great mystery. All Rights Reserved. A 17th century Arabian silver coin, top, that research shows was struck in 1693 in Yemen, rests near an Oak Tree Shilling minted in 1652 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, below, and a Spanish half real coin from 1727, right, on a table, in Warwick, R.I., on March 11, 2021. Theyve already reclaimed some 200,000 artifacts, including thousands of silver Spanish coins, hundreds of pieces and fragments of rare African gold jewelry, dozens of cannons, various colonial-era objects and other prizes. A Pirate Treasure worth over $400 million US Dollars was recently found just off the coast of Cape Cod, near Boston Massachusetts. Its not the man whos lost, but the mine. Turtle bones. A 50kg (7st 9lb) silver bar was brought to shore on . Schultz reportedly hid about $7 million worth of treasure in the Catskills Mountains of southeastern New York state, keeping the location a secret. They would attack and rob any non-Navy ship that crossed their paths: mostly merchant ships and vessels carrying enslaved people plying the Atlantic. Some have even died in the pursuit. They launched the hunt on Dec. 16 and set Dec. 31 as a deadline for finding it. I wouldnt know, Welsh says a bit wistfully. Home > Culture > 40 Real Forgotten Treasures That Still Havent Been Found. First, theres the general location of the wreck, which is consistent with the historical accounts and antique maps that Daniel used in his search. Download our free app. Its really a pretty interesting story., Mark Hanna, an associate professor of history at the University of California-San Diego and an expert in piracy in early America, said that when he first saw photos of Baileys coin, I lost my mind., Finding those coins, for me, was a huge thing, said Hanna, author of the 2015 book, Pirate Nests and the Rise of the British Empire. The story of Capt. Obscure records show a ship called the Sea Flower, used by the pirates after they ditched the Fancy, sailed along the Eastern seaboard. The Lima treasure is estimated to be worth more than $200 million today, and its still out there waiting for you. What was lost was the cargo, which was rumored to include vast sums in gold bound for Russia. They also struck off the coast of Africa and even made forays into the Pacific and Indian Oceans. And, reportedly, about $375,000 worth of gold bars. This was originally published in Pyle, Howard (AugustSeptember 1887). When the team recovered a 3,000-pound piece of the stern, they found two draft marks meant to show how much of the vessel was below the waterline. They captured chests of gold, silver, jewels, and other precious cargo worth a fortune. Luckily, the archaeologists have a different notion of treasure. Likewise, medicines were often looted: Pirates were often injured or ill, and medicines were hard to come by. It was exactly what it sounds like: a whole room made of amber (fossilized tree sap, for those who havent seen Jurassic Park). The vessel believed to . Konstam, Angus. In LAs Elysian Park, folks in the 1800s used to come to bury their treasures for safekeeping or so the story goes. During the Civil War, Confederate Colonel John Mosby was famous for conducting raids behind enemy lines. His wife got the necklace. -- The undersea explorer who discovered the Whydah Gally, the first authenticated pirate shipwreck in North America, believes hes found where the ships legendary treasure lies after more than 30 years of poking around the murky waters off Cape Cod. Pirates with gold or silver tended to spend it quickly when in port. (2021, January 26). No treasure has yet been reported found. Peg Leg was short on time when he found this vein, however, so he took no more than a sample and went on his way. Nov 4, 2015. Fortunately, part of the vessel remained covered in sand. So far, treasure hunters have discovered nothing. This included African jewellery, muskets, silver coins, gold belt buckles and 60 cannons which are worth more than $100 million. The secret went to his grave with him, and despite considerable efforts no one has been able to dig up Dutchs trove. He wanted to create a treasure hunt for the ages, so he laid down 11 clues for where to find the owl, and promised a million francs to whomever found it. Since then, other detectorists have unearthed 15 additional Arabian coins from the same era 10 in Massachusetts, three in Rhode Island and two in Connecticut. The Brewster Boys decided on the hiding spot, and Lynn wrote a poem laden with clues. Thanks to the popularity of "Treasure Island," the most famous novel about pirates, most people think that the bandits went around burying treasure on remote islands. Meanwhile, archaeologists are itching to start work on the largest concretion of all: a huge pile of cannons and anchors still on the seafloor. How to Set up the Game. Instead, and somewhat predictably, Thompson and his men proved unable to resist the temptation of so much treasure. After Pierponts death, the farm was abandoned. What followed was one of the most lucrative and heinous robberies of all time. These outer layers, which grow thicker over time, are known as concretions. Before breaking them apart, lab workers try to identify what lies beneath with X-rays, but some objects are undetectable. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The Republic didnt strike an iceberg, but another ship, and sunk in a heavy fog off Nantucket Island. Archaeologists and historians familiar with but not involved in Baileys work say theyre intrigued, and believe its shedding new light on one of the worlds most enduring criminal mysteries. However, he didnt tell anyone where the book was. The wonder of that experience turned him into a lifelong seeker of antiquities and archaeological curiosities. "A General History of the Pyrates." However, the truth is not so romantic. The room was this moved to the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg. Leon Trabuco was a Mexican millionaire in the 1930s. The latest treasure trove to be unearthed was a shipwreck with more than $22 billion worth of gold, discovered at the bottom of the Caribbean. Actually, he was more a privateer a sort of state-sponsored pirate who made a name for himself harassing Spains enemies in the Atlantic. Treasure hunters win, but so do area nonprofits. On one occasion, he captured a well-heeled Union general who was carrying about $350,000 worth of gold and loot. It was a rare example of the swashbuckling genre in the film serial medium. Jensen joined him and they continued the search. After collecting the ransom, Blackbeard retreated to North Carolina, which had plenty of hiding spots in obscure coves and inlets behind the Outer Banks. While many of the goods taken were delicate or consumable, and have since been lost, substantial pirate hauls of precious metals are still thought to exist. Jensen decided to try his luck alone that day. Only 10,000 Pounds were ever recovered from Gardiners Island off the coast of Long Island, NY, and were sent to England along with Kidd in 1700 as evidence against him. We will send you the latest TV programmes, podcast episodes and articles, as well as exclusive offers from our shop and carefully selected partners. But, Moore realized, 12.75 inches was the French measurement for a foot at that time. This ancient mystery has finally been solved, and boy are. Evidently, Clifford homed in on a patch of sand just over 100 feet from the shore. An incredible discovery, it is the only verified pirate treasure to have ever been discovered. The invading Nazis took a shine to the amber room in the former tsars palace, so they looted it and returned it to Germany. They were the "tools of the trade" for pirates. John was campaigning against his own nobles (again), and tried to cross a river with his baggage train. He started his career as a respected privateer, hired by European royals to attack foreign ships and protect trade routes. And then theres the stuff with which they were loaded. That bone was identified as a human male with general ties to the Eastern Mediterranean area, Sherman said in the statement. Until then, its just talk.. Pirates rarely had access to ports or shipyards where they could repair their vessels. Every is one of global significance. He was known as a kind of Spanish Robin Hood, since he gave many of his plundered spoils to the poor, and was as popular as figures such as Blackbeard and Sir Francis Drake. A 1920 painting entitled Capture of the Pirate, Blackbeard, 1718, depicting the battle between Blackbeard the Pirate and Lieutenant Maynard in Ocracoke Bay. Olivier Levasseur was a French pirate between 1688 and 1730. Minster, Christopher. After an outcry led by the British East India Company, whose profits on the riches of India were threatened by the raid, Britain's King William III ordered what is regarded as the first. Rogers has amassed a fortune in stolen gold and silver during this time. It was lost when a ship namedWhydah Galley sank off Cape Cod in 1717 under the command of notorious pirate Sam Black Sam Bellamy, who is thought to be the wealthiest pirate in history. In 1907, its said that a wagon carrying a bunch of dimes crashed in Colorados Black Canyon, the money scattered and lost in the rough terrain. Which means that the gold, diamonds, cash, art treasures, whatever the Germans hid down there will likely remain hidden. But Montezuma may have had the last laugh. In May 1718, the Queen Annes Revenge blockaded the port of Charleston, holding prominent citizens hostage in return for a chest of medicine. Back in 2011, more than $6 million worth of that countrys crown jewels were stolen from a museum, along with other important artifacts. Abigail Tucker On Sept. 7, 1695, the pirate ship Fancy, commanded by Every, ambushed and captured the Ganj-i-Sawai, a royal vessel owned by Indian emperor Aurangzeb, then one of the worlds most powerful men. He had just participated in the conquest of Malacca (Malaysia), and his boat was weighted down with treasures to impress the Portuguese court. Popular trade goods at the time included bolts of cloth, tanned animal skins, spices, sugar, dyes, cocoa, tobacco, cotton, wood, and more. Then last year, Clifford claimed to have located the infamous Scottish pirate Captain William Kidds Adventure Galley off the coast of Madagascar. There are many theories as to where Blackbeards treasure might lie, but in the 300 years since he died, nothing has been found. Black Caesar, a notorious pirate once called Elliott Key home and he preyed on passing ships. An interesting side note is that the men found a real note in a bottle during their search. His remains were discovered and displayed in China in the 1920s, but went missing during WWII. (Sorry, no Kate Winslet or Leo in this story.). Perhaps thats why it sank off the coast of Sumatra. Image Credit: Shutterstock Scottish Captain William Kidd is one of the most famous pirates in history. -- The undersea explorer who discovered the Whydah Gally, the first authenticated pirate shipwreck in North America, believes he's found where the ship's legendary treasure. Both American coasts abound with tales of buried pirate treasure. The trouble is, none of these proves the ships identity. Some cannons that hadnt undergone chemical treatment were barely recognizable. When Jefferson Davis was found and captured, he was ostensibly penniless. sailed the seas in the 17th and 18th centuries. Captain William Kidd buried his loot, but he's one of the few known to have done so. There are supposedly two main burial sites, both near New Orleans: one inLake Borgne, the other near the Old Spanish Trail. Items found at a shipwreck site off of Cape Cod. The most valuable haul of pirate treasure ever found is heading to Galveston for an exhibit showcasing dozens of cannons, coins and muskets. It was the twenty-first sound serial released by Universal, of the sixty-nine they released in total (it was the eighty-ninth serial if Universal's silent serials are considered as well, of a total of 137 serials). Theres extensive primary source documentation to show the American colonies were bases of operation for pirates, said Bailey, 53, who holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Rhode Island and worked as an archaeological assistant on explorations of the Wydah Gally pirate ship wreck off Cape Cod in the late 1980s. Pirate Treasure in St Thomas Virgin Islands Published by shortfuze90 on May 28, 2020 May 28, 2020. . You recall the treasure of Lima (#37)? Place a hula hoop in the center of each . Be careful on your quest, though; at least 4 people have died on the hunt for Fenns treasure. It passed from dynasty to dynasty until the . The Reynolds gang robbed stagecoaches and the like in Colorado in the 1860s, and apparently made a reasonably handsome living doing so. The wreckage was found in 1981, but no one has ever found the gold. The team hopes the skeletons will lead to pirate identifications, Clifford said in the statement and maybe to living descendents. Well, thats not the only missing treasure that was supposedly removed from Peru by the Spanish and then lost. Forrest Fenn was many things: a collector, an adventurer, an Air Force pilot. According to legend, theres a goldmine of uncommon wealth in the Superstition Mountains to the east of Phoenix, Arizona. What Was the Sudeten Crisis and Why Was it So Important? He primarily attacked ships rich in gold, silver and other treasures leaving Mexico and South America on their way back to Spain. Dover Maritime, 60742nd edition, Dover Publications, January 26, 1999. Casks of rice and other foodstuffs were taken on board as needed, although the less cruel pirates would leave enough food for their victims to survive. If you Google first worldwide manhunt, it comes up as Every, Bailey said. Only the infamous Captain William Kidd is said to have ever buried his goods, and most pirate treasure today is sequestered in Davy Jones Locker. However, in his will, he wrote about a chest with a carved wood pattern on the lid which he kept in his cabin. Good or bad, whatever it is, it would surely fetch a pretty penny if you found it on your bookshelf. But the clues keep mounting. Tu Duc is generally considered to be the lastNguyn Emperor of Vietnam, having died in 1883. He marked the tree bark with his knife so he would be able to find his booty when he returned, but he was never able to do so. This is an odd treasure, but if anyone were to find it, it may prove the most valuable of any on this list. About $500 million dollars worth of treasure has already been recovered, but experts estimate theres still about $200 million on the ocean floor, ready for the salvaging. Their message hit home, Jensen said, adding that agood friend is currently receiving treatment for a brain tumor. Holding thousands of artifacts from the Whydah, the Whydah Pirate Museum is a material look into the lives of pirates secretive fleets of men that sailed the seas in the 17th and 18th centuries. By contrast, the wreck of the Whydah Galley, the best-established American pirate ship, which sank in a storm off Massachusetts in 1717, yielded a bell inscribed with the ships name. Many people feared him. Some of the remains may belong to the captain of the worlds only verified pirate shipwreck, the Whydah, which sank in 1717. The most compelling argument against the shipwreck being Blackbeards is found on a cannon barrel marked rather crudely with three very large numbers1,7,3and a slightly smaller 0. a distance of forty cubits: a strongbox of silver and its vessels Did you encounter any technical issues? The so-called Golden Age of Piracy lasted from around 1650 to 1730. A pirate ship without cannons and a crew without pistols and swords were ineffective, so it was the rare pirate victim that got away with his weapon stores unplundered. A portion of the world's largest treasure troves are located in shipwrecks SAN JOS. Understanding Pirate Treasure. Except for a sprinkling of gold dustless than one ounce so farno treasure has been found aboard the vessel likely piloted by Edward Teach, the British-born pirate known as Blackbeard. His pyramid is the smallest of the three famous monuments at Giza, and so his tomb was an obvious target for excavation in the 1830s. the steps, with the entrance at the East, The coastal areas of Virginia and the Carolinas are said by some to contain treasure left behind by Blackbeard, Stede Bonnett and other pirates who once roamed the seas off the America's preying on merchantmen and Spanish treasure ships. Jean and Pierre LaFitte were French pirates who plied their trade in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. The Russian government recreated the amber room in the Catherine Palace, and you can visit the restored version today. But to date none has been recovered. Since what they were doing was illegal, Trabuco and friends decided to bury the gold somewhere in the deserts of New Mexico. The same seemed to be true of other rebel leaders. Everys exploits have inspired a 2020 book by Steven Johnson, Enemy of All Mankind; PlayStations popular Uncharted series of video games; and a Sony Pictures movie version of Uncharted starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg and Antonio Banderas thats slated for release early in 2022. (or set boundaries, like "from here to the garage; from there to the big oak tree"). Logs and branches near the bottom of the lake make it difficult to see and dangerous to dive. The vessel believed to have been Blackbeards flagship is currently occupied by octopuses, which turn a pale, disgruntled green when nautical archaeologists approach. There, as one of the survivors noted in his letters, the pirates buried the bulk of the treasure before repairing their ship and sailing away, never to be heard from again. Aboard were not only the worshipers returning from their pilgrimage, but tens of millions of dollars worth of gold and silver. Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon Brilliant Rivals, Hitler vs Stalin: The Battle for Stalingrad, How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Humanity, Hasdrubal Barca: How Hannibals Fight Against Rome Depended on His Brother, Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage, Bones in the Attic: The Forgotten Fallen of Waterloo, How Climate and the Natural World Have Shaped Civilisations Across Time, The Rise and Fall of Charles Ponzi: How a Pyramid Scheme Changed the Face of Finance Forever. Henry Every vanished into the wind. Another was found in North Carolina, where records show some of Everys men first came ashore. Theyre the property of great monarchies, priceless in their valuation, and thus you would expect them to be closely guarded. Whydah Pirate Museum sponsors Cape-wide treasure hunt. Granger Collection, New York. Theyre waiting for an enterprising adventurer to come along and find them, and some of them are very valuable indeed. The artifacts point to a pirate culture which may surprise some: One of egalitarianism, racial tolerance and democracy, the Whydah website says. UNESCO again threw cold water on the pronouncement, concluding an over 100-pound silver ingot Clifford produced as proof of his find was actually 95 percent lead. https://www.thoughtco.com/pirate-treasure-2136278 (accessed March 5, 2023). The fate of Peking Man is unknown, but fortunately he is not the only specimen of his kind. Peking Man, or homo erectus pekinensis was a specimen of an early human subspecies that lived 500,000-750,000 years ago. An 8-year-old girl from Connecticut had written it in 1997 and thrown it into the water at Vineyard Haven. Unlike the others, the Copper Scroll isnt written on papyrus but on, well, copper plates. Underwater explorers in Madagascar say they have discovered treasure belonging to the notorious 17th-Century Scottish pirate William Kidd. They launched the hunt on Dec. 16 and set Dec. 31 as. "Understanding Pirate Treasure." Looks like they really didn't know what it's value was..at this rate I am going to set my detector down occasionally and follow the better half around more often. Advertising Notice So he and some partners quietly bought up a bunch of gold and smuggled it into the U.S. in the hopes of increasing their already vast fortunes. Weve all seen the movies where one-eyed, peg-leg pirates make off with great wooden chests full of gold, silver, and jewels. And businesses who sponsor the hunts get publicity aimed at helping their bottom lines. So far, no one else has either. The site, discovered in 1996, is 25 feet underwater, less than a mile and a half from shore. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Minster, Christopher. One of these days, someone is going to get super famous for finding his sarcophagus. He called for backup and Aksel and his five college friends met him. The Japanese liner Awa Maru was sunk by a torpedo in 1945 a fact which it has in common with many other Japanese ships. / CBS/AP. It may have been destroyed in the fire, but it also may have been stolen. They also thought Nobska Light figured prominently in the riddle. They have never been found. John Reynolds, the leader of the gang, told a friend where he had stashed their loot before he died somewhere around Mount Logan. Blackbeard lived only six months after the abandonment of the Queen Annes Revenge; a Royal Navy lieutenant from Virginia ambushed him at sea and sailed home with the pirates head dangling from his bowsprit. When Pargo died, he had written in his will of a chest containing many of his most valued treasures: gold, silver, fabrics, pearls, porcelain. It may sound like the stuff of legend, but there really are hidden, buried, missing and forgotten treasures that still havent been found out there. Rogers started his own pirate fleet in 1818. Actually, he was more a privateer a sort of state-sponsored pirate who made a name for himself harassing Spain's enemies in the Atlantic. Local salvager and cartographer Cyprian Southack wrote that the riches, with the guns, would be buried in the sand.. Nicknamed La Buse (The Buzzard), he is known for allegedly hiding one of the biggest treasures in pirate history, estimated at over 1 billion, and leaving a cryptogram behind with clues to its whereabouts. The Menorah from the Second Temple of Jerusalem was taken by the Romans in 70 AD and put on display in a temple in Rome. However, this one was said to be carrying more than $7 million worth of gold when it went down. On Sept. 7, 1695, the pirate ship Fancy, commanded by Every, ambushed and captured the Ganj-i-Sawai, a royal vessel owned by Indian emperor Aurangzeb, then one of the world's most powerful men.. Historical accounts say his band tortured and killed the men aboard the Indian ship and raped the women before escaping to the Bahamas, a haven for pirates. Treasure was an important part of the history surrounding pirates. Others, however, think Blackbeard deliberately abandoned the ship, which was far too large to navigate North Carolinas shallow sounds, in an effort to downsize his crew (some of whom later testified as much) and travel light, transferring his treasure to the smaller ships in his fleet. 2023 Cable News Network. Everything You Need To Know About Canada Opening Up For American Travelers, Resorts That Will Have You Feeling Like A Kid In A Candy Store, The Best Riviera Nayarit Resorts With Pools. The facts of the case are impossibly intertwined with myth and legend, making hard to assess the veracity of any claim about the lost mine. But what became of all their riches? Shipwrecks are a great way to redistribute wealth, as it turns out. Gold dust. Henry Jennings, known as the most violent pirate at the time, made a name for plundering all he could. Many pirates had clandestine contacts with merchants willing to purchase such stolen goods for a fraction of their true worth and then resell them for a profit. Sadly, to this day, no one has ever been able to find Pargos treasure. The last emperor of the Aztecs was held captive in his own capital by the Spanish conquistadors under Hernn Corts and killed either by the Spanish or his own people, depending on whose account you believe.