The most expensive treasures of our time

In February 1941, a military transport ship sank off the coast of Galway, Ireland. Of the 85 crew members, only one managed to escape. Recently, the American expedition Odyssey Marine Exploration managed to recover 48 tons of silver from the day the ship sank.

The silver discovered off the coast of Ireland is far from a record compared to all the gold, diamonds and other treasures found in recent years.

1. “Naryshkin Silver” in St. Petersburg, 2012.
During the restoration work of the ancient Trubetskoy-Naryshkin mansion in March of this year, a walled up room filled with silver dishes was found. Most of the devices were marked with the Naryshkin family coat of arms. The dishes have been stored here since 1917. Wrapped in newspapers and linen cloth soaked in vinegar, it has survived to this day in perfect condition.

2. $22 billion in Indian temple, 2011.
Perhaps one of the largest treasures in the entire history of mankind was found last year in the Indian Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The treasures hidden in the lower tiers of the building, according to experts, make up 6 percent of India's entire gold and foreign exchange reserves. The treasure represents donations to the temple, which have been collected since the 14th century, and in the 18th century the cache with the accumulated treasure was walled up.

3. One and a half hundredweight of Roman coins, 2010.
In 2010, a treasure trove of coins from the Roman Empire was discovered in Great Britain. The weight of what was found was more than 160 kg. The treasure was found by amateur treasure hunters under a 30-centimeter layer of earth. Bronze coins were kept in a clay jar. Experts believe that the coins were intended as sacrifices to the gods.

4. Gold and jewels in Staffordshire, 2009.
The Anglo-Saxon treasure was found in 2009 in Staffordshire by amateur archaeologist Terry Herbert. There were five kilograms of gold, three kilograms of silver, as well as precious stones. More than 1,500 different items, including brooches, armor, dishes and religious utensils, were found by Terry with a metal detector on a friend's farm.

5. Treasure hidden from Caesar, 2012.
On the island of Jersey in the English Channel, amateur archaeologists found a cache that weighed more than 700 kilograms. According to experts, I have been putting it for more than 2 thousand years. It was probably hidden by the Celtic tribes, fleeing from Caesar's army. The value of the treasure, according to various estimates, ranges from $5 million to $17 million.

6. Millions from a German library, 2011.
In one of the cities of Lower Bavaria, unique coins were found among books in the state library. The cost of coins reaches several million euros. A treasure in the form of Greek, Roman, Byzantine coins, as well as French coins from the era of Napoleon Bonaparte, was discovered by a cleaning lady. It is assumed that the collection was hidden in 1803 from the authorities, who took away the coins and books stored in the monasteries for the needs of the state.

7. Gold from the cruiser Edinburgh, 1981.
In 1942, the English cruiser Edinburgh was damaged by German warships and was sunk by order of the captain. There were 5.5 tons of gold on board the sunken ship. In 1981, the largest underwater operation to recover gold from the Edinburgh was carried out in the Barents Sea. Most of the ingots were raised to the surface, but several ingots could not be found.

8. 17 tons of silver at a depth of 2.5 km, 2011.
In 1917, the British ship Mantola was wrecked by an attack by the German submarine U-81. Last year, 17 tons of silver were recovered from the bottom of the sunken ship, the value of which is estimated at $19 million.

9. Treasures of the Atocha Galleon, 1985.
It took 15 years to find the famous treasures of the Spanish galleon Atocha. As a result of a severe storm in 1622, the ship sank off the coast of Florida. The price of gold and silver bars and jewelry recovered from the bottom is more than $400 million.

10. 48 tons of silver off the coast of Ireland, July 2012.
Just recently, 48 tons of silver were recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean - this is one of the largest treasures ever discovered in sea waters. The treasure, estimated at $38 million, was found on board the Gersoppa ship near Ireland.

11. Gold, platinum and diamonds on the “ship without a name”, 2009.
Three years ago, the remains of a British ship sunk by the Nazis during World War II were discovered off the northeastern coast of South America. The ship was wrecked in 1942. A large cargo of gold, platinum and diamonds was found on board, transported to replenish the US treasury.

12. Half a million gold and silver coins, 2007.
In 2007, the Odyssey Marine Exploration expedition reported the discovery of a sunken ship with 500,000 gold and silver coins on board. The found treasures were transported to the United States, and the name of the sunken ship and the place where it was found are kept secret.

13. Coins and magic stone in the Caribbean, 2011.
In 2011, the American organization of treasure hunters Deep Blue Marine found 700 ancient coins in the Caribbean Sea, valued at several million dollars. In the 16th century, a shipwreck occurred at this site.

14. Soviet platinum on a British ship, 2012.
In February 2012, American treasure hunter Greg Brooks found the sunken British ship Port Nicholson, which sank in 1942 without bringing platinum bars from the USSR to New York. This cargo was payment from the Soviet Union to the US government for the supply of ammunition and military equipment.