30 of the Most Valuable Shipwreck Treasures Ever Found

The lure of shipwrecks and the treasures they yield has fascinated many people, not only for their monetary worth but also their rich history.

30 Most Valuable Shipwreck Finds

The lure of shipwrecks and the treasures they yield has fascinated many people, not only for their monetary worth but also their rich history. Each wreck is a time capsule that tells a story from the past, connecting us to people and their cultural backgrounds from long ago. Sunken ships and their artifacts also offer an expansive exploration of the deep-water marine environment and how it has changed over time. In addition, the type of vessel and its cargo reveal many aspects of history, including trade, warfare, technology and the lifestyle of people from a particular era.

Of course, treasure hunting is a large part of the appeal, and many explorers have gotten rich from their discoveries. There are still hundreds of shipwrecks yet to be found under the sea — several of which are quite famous for their valuable cargo, which continues to spark the interest of treasure hunters. Here are 30 of the most valuable shipwreck finds from around the globe, listed by the year they were discovered, starting with the oldest first.

30. RMS Rhone

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: Oct. 19, 1867

Location found: British Virgin Islands

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The 310-foot-long Rhone was a luxurious passenger ship built in England in 1865. It regularly traveled from Europe, the Caribbean and South America for two years until its demise in October 1867.

The vessel stopped alongside the RMS Conway in Great Harbour, Peter Island, to refuel when it got caught in a Category 3 Hurricane (later named the San Narciso). During a lull in the storm, the Rhone tried to make a break to a safer harbor, but the violent winds knocked the ship into the rocks at Black Rock Point, breaking the vessel in two. What makes the shipwreck so valuable is that, in 1980, it became the British Island's first national marine park and is now one of the most popular dive sites in the world.

29. The Antikythera

Value: $120-160 million

Date found: 1900

Location found: Off the coast of Antikythera on the edge of the Aegean Sea

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Antikythera, a Roman-era First Century B.C. ship that sank at least 2,000 years ago, was discovered in 1900 by sponge divers.

The ancient wreckage contained priceless artifacts, including an analog device for predicting astronomical positions and eclipses.

28. Empress of Ireland

Value: Over $1 million

Date found: May 1914, then revisited numerous times until 1999

Location found: Near the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, Canada

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Empress of Ireland was a Canadian Ocean liner that collided with the Norwegian collier Storstad due to inclement weather and thick fog on May 29, 1914. It left Quebec and was headed for Liverpool when the collision occurred, killing 1,012 passengers and making it one of the worst disasters in Canadian maritime history.

Initial salvage crews found 25 silver bars worth $150,000, but by today's standards, that value is well over $1 million. Salvage teams visited the area numerous times after 1914. Still, by 1999, the wreck was declared a site of historical and archaeological importance. It is now listed in the register of Historic Sites of Canada.

27. The Bajo de la Campana

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: 1950s

Location found: In the Bajo de la Campana off the coast of Spain

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Bajo de la Campana is one of several shipwrecks found in this area. However, this vessel was a wealthy Iron Age, Phoenician wreck carrying luxury goods for trade. A scrap-metal salvaging team for shipwrecks discovered materials at the wreck site in the 1950s. It is believed that the seventh-century B.C. ship ran aground 2,700 years ago in the rocky region of Bajo de la Campana. Most of the cargo was found in a sea cave.

The wreck included ceramic vessels, elephant tusks, tin and copper ingots, hundreds of lead ore nuggets, amber from the Baltic region and personal items such as games and combs. The shipwreck is considered a valuable find since the cargo contents have given archeologists new insight into the Phoenician presence in Spain and the western Mediterranean.

26. Vasa

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: 1961

Location found: Stockholm Harbor

The History Behind the Shipwreck

This Swedish warship was built between 1626 and 1628 and is considered a high-tech vessel. Unfortunately, the ship sank only 20 minutes into its maiden voyage when it was hit by strong winds and flooding on Aug. 10, 1628.

When the ship was salvaged in 1961 by Anders Franzen, valuable artifacts, clothing and coins were found and are now part of the Stockholm VASA Museum. What makes the ship so valuable is that 95 percent of its wood is still intact. The ship's design was more about its beautiful ornamentation and elegance than its seaworthiness.

25. Dry Tortugas Shipwreck of 1622

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: 1965

Location found: West of Key West, Florida

The History Behind the Shipwreck

After a shrimp trawler found several relics from a sunken ship off the Florida Keys, an extensive excavation began in 1989 by deep-ocean shipwreck exploration pioneers of Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology. Archeologists believe the Tortugas shipwreck is the 117-ton Buen Jesus y Nuestra Senora del Rosario, part of the 1622 fleet that included the Santa Margarita and the Atocha, which were bound for Spain with riches from the New World.

Instead, the vessel was most likely leaving Havana when it encountered a hurricane and was destroyed. Over 17,000 artifacts, including 27 gold bars, 1,184 silver cob coins, 258 valuable beads, beautiful pottery pieces and 6,838 pearls were found.

24. The Mary Rose

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: 1971 (salvaged in 1982)

Location found: Near the Isle of Wight

The History Behind the Shipwreck

Launched in 1511 during the reign of Henry VIII, the Mary Rose was a Tudor warship that sank in the Solent in 1545 during a battle with France. Portions of the wreck were first found by fishermen in 1836, but the discovery of the entire vessel occurred on May 5, 1971.

The ship was raised in 1982 and contained not only priceless artifacts from Tudor England but also interesting items from crew members such as games, tankards, books, plates, tools and musical instruments. The Mary Rose was one of the most expensive salvaging projects undertaken in maritime archeological history.

23. Igara Wreck

Value: $25 million

Date found: March 1973

Location found: Off the coast of Indonesia

The History Behind the Shipwreck

An Italian oil/ore steamship was carrying 127,000 tons of Brazilian iron ore when it struck a rock in the South China sea and sank about 130 feet deep into the ocean. It had only been in service for one year, traveling from Vitoria, Brazil, to Murovn, Japan, before it sank off the coast of Indonesia.

The expensive ship and its ore have been valued at roughly $25 million and now serve as a home for diverse marine life.

22. The Ancient Dokos Shipwreck

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: Aug. 23, 1975

Location found: The Greek island of Dokos in the Aegean Sea

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Dokos is the oldest underwater shipwreck ever found, dating back as far as 2700 to 2200 BC. Peter Throckmorton found the wreck's remains in 1975.

Although the ship had dissolved in the sea, divers found hundreds of pottery pieces at the cargo site. The wreck was excavated from 1989 to 1992. Some items found include ceramic cups, urns, jugs, kitchenware, stone anchors and lead ingots. What makes the wreck valuable is the age of its cargo remains from 5,000 years ago, making it the largest collection of Early Helladic II pottery known to date.

21. Santa Margarita

Value: $16 million

Date found: 1980

Location found: Near the Marquesas Keys in the Florida Straits

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Spanish galleon Santa Margarita was lost in a hurricane off the coast of the Florida Keys. She was one in a fleet of 28 ships voyaging to Spain in 1622. Santa Margarita sank with a King's ransom in treasures and the lives of 142 crew members.

In 1624, Francisco Melian salvaged a portion of the ship. Still, it wasn't until 1980 when Mel Fisher's Treasures and Blue Water Ventures found the wreck containing 9,000 ounces of gold, 550 silver ingots, fine jewelry and 16,184 rare pearls. Artifacts from the shipwreck are on display at the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum in Key West, Florida.

20. RMS Republic

Value: $120-180 million (possibly up to $1 billion)

Date found: 1981

Location found: 50 miles south of Nantucket

The History Behind the Shipwreck

Known as the "Millionaire Ship" due to the number of wealthy passengers onboard, the steam-powered ocean liner was launched on Feb. 26, 1903, from Liverpool, England, heading for Boston, Massachusetts. It sank on Jan. 24, 1909, after colliding in dense fog with the Lloyd Italian liner S.S. Florida, slipping 270 feet beneath the surface.

Captain Martin Bayerle, a treasure hunter, found the wreck of the luxury liner in 1981. The ship held 51,000 U.S. gold and silver coins plus 14,000 artifacts. It is also believed to have had American Eagle gold coins from the U.S. navy payroll.

19. The Uluburun Shipwreck

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: 1982

Location found: Off the coast of southwestern Turkey in Kas

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Uluburun sailing ship, believed to be from 1330 to 1300 B.C., is one of the oldest wrecks ever found. It was discovered in 1982 by Mehmed Cakir, a local sponge diver.

The shipwreck held a treasure trove of items dating back to 14th century B.C. The precious cargo contained items from nine to 10 different cultures, including Cypriot copper and tin ingots, pottery, medallions, beads and amber from the Baltic region. It is the world's most extensive Bronze Age collection of raw materials.

18. Whydah Gally

Value: $400 million in artifacts, gold, silver and cannons

Date found: 1984

Location found: Off the coast of Wellfleet, Massachusetts

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The fully rigged galley ship known as the Whydah Gally was initially built as a trading and transport ship carrying 500 enslaved people when it made its maiden voyage from Africa in 1716. The vessel also contained gold, silver, jewelry, ivory, rum and spices. It was headed for England when it was captured by pirate "Black Sam" (Samuel Bellamy) and his crew. Bellamy caught the ship after a three-day chase and then headed north along the eastern coastline of the American colonies. The three-masted galley ship was hit by a powerful Nor'easter off the coast of Cape Cod, causing it to run into a sandbar, where it was smashed into pieces on April 26, 1717.

The ship was carrying $400 million in treasure looted from 53 other vessels at the time. It is the world's only authenticated "Golden Age" pirate ship, and its remains were discovered in 1984 by Barry Clifford. The 110-foot length ship was buried under 5 feet of sand at a depth of 14 feet of water, but it took 260 years to find it since the remains were spread out over 4 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.

17. Nuestra Senora de Atocha

Value: $450 million in gold, silver, copper and emeralds

Date found: 1985

Location found: Off the Florida Keys

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Nuestra Senora de Atocha was a Spanish treasure galleon and rear guard for a fleet sailing from Cuba to Spain in 1622. The ships were delayed by six weeks and left port on Sept. 4 during hurricane season. Unfortunately, a hurricane hit the fleet two days later and sank the Atocha on Sept. 6, 1622. Of the 265 passengers aboard the ship, only three sailors and two enslaved people survived. The Atocha's cargo contained silver from Bolivia, Peru and Mexico, gold and emeralds from Colombia, pearls from Venezuela as well as silverware, tobacco and bronze cannons worth $250-500 million.

Nicknamed the "Atocha Motherlode", the shipwreck was discovered in 1985 by Mel Fisher and Finley Ricard, treasure hunters of Treasure Salvors Inc. After eight years of litigation, the court ruled in favor of Treasure Salvors for rights to all of the valuable loot, including its 40 tons of gold and silver plus 71 pounds of emeralds.

16. RMS Titanic

Value: $190-200+ million in jewels and personal belongings

Date found: Sept. 1, 1985

Location found: North Atlantic Ocean

The History Behind the Shipwreck

This famous British passenger ship was on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City when it struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, in the North Atlantic Ocean. Of the 2,224 passengers abroad, 1500 died, making it the deadliest sinking of an ocean liner ever. It was the largest ship built during that era and was considered unsinkable, but it only took two hours and 40 minutes to sink to the ocean floor.

In 1985, retired Navy officer Robert Ballard found the Titanic in its watery grave. Many of the treasures, including numerous diamonds found onboard the ship, have sold at auction for over millions of dollars.

15. S.S. Central America

Value: $150-300 million in gold dust, nuggets, coins and ingots

Date found: Sept. 11, 1988

Location found: 160 miles offshore of Charleston, South Carolina

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The 280-foot S.S. Central America was a steamer carrying 578 passengers that left Panama for New York City on Sept. 3, 1857. The vessel was known as the "Ship of Gold" since it carried gold from prospectors who had struck it rich in the California Gold Rush. Unfortunately, the S.S. Central America encountered a category 2 hurricane. After a valiant attempt to save the ship, she sank around Sept.11-12 of 1857, taking 425 of the 578 passengers and $300 million worth of gold with her.

The vessel was discovered below 7,200 feet in 1988 by Tommy Gregory Thompson of the Columbus-America Discovery Group of Ohio. After a lengthy legal battle with insurance companies, the discovery team was awarded 92 percent of the gold in 1996. To put things into perspective, one gold nugget weighing 80 pounds sold for $8 million after the discovery.

14. The Salcombe Shipwrecks

Value: $800 million

Date found: Early 1990s

Location found: In the town of Salcombe, England

The History Behind the Shipwreck

Divers from the Henley Sub Aqua Club discovered rich cargo from several shipwrecks in the 1990s near Salcombe, England. The site has yielded a variety of treasures, such as coins and weaponry dating back to 1300 and 1100 B.C., while other items are believed to be from a 17th-century Dutch merchant ship or a Moroccan Barbery ship.

Cargo within the wreck site consists of Islamic gold jewelry, cannons, ceramics, kitchenware and personal belongings. More important was the discovery of rare braided-wire torque bracelets dating back to 1300 and 1100 B.C., making them some of the oldest treasure finds in that part of the U.K.

13. The Ship La Bella

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: 1995

Location found: Matagorda Bay, Texas

The History Behind the Shipwreck

During the reign of French King Louie XIV in the 17th century, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was sent on a sailing expedition across the ocean to North America to establish a colony, trade and locate the Spanish silver mines. The flagship La Belle was one of four ships that set sail on the historic but ill-fated mission in 1684. Although La Selle was searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, he miscalculated directions and ended up 400 miles west in Spanish Texas. La Selle's vessel was the last ship sailing from the expedition two years after leaving France. Unfortunately, it was eventually wrecked in a winter storm in 1686 while exploring the Gulf of Mexico.

The shipwreck was found by archeologists in 1995 at the bottom of Matagorda Bay. Over 1.6 million items were found, including a bronze cannon, muskets, axe heads, glass beads and tools for farming and carpentry. These artifacts offered a rare glimpse at what objects were needed for a new colony, the remaining cargo being one of the most impressive archeological finds of the century.

12. Queen Anne's Revenge

Value: Possibly $142 million or more

Date found: Nov. 1996

Location found: One mile offshore from Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

The History Behind the Shipwreck

An 18th century warship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, first served the British Navy before being captured by the French, then taken by pirates in 1717. It's most famous for being known as the ship of Edward Teach, the infamous pirate Blackbeard. The ship went aground in 1718, and Blackbeard was killed just months later in a battle with British naval forces.

Intersal, a private marine exploration company, found the ship in 1996. The wreckage included over a quarter-million artifacts and at least 31 cannons. But the bulk of Blackbeard's treasure is still missing today. The ship is now listed on the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places.

11. Belitung

Value: $80 million in Chinese wares

Date found: 1998

Location found: About 1 mile off the coast of Belitung Island, Indonesia

The History Behind the Shipwreck

Also known as the Tang Shipwreck, this Arabian sailing vessel is believed to have sunk around 830 A.D. when it sailed from Arabia to China. The wreck was not discovered until 1998 by several fishermen.

Their valuable find included many items from the Tang Dynasty, including Chinese bowls, spice bars, pitchers, inkwells, funeral urns and gilt-silver bars. The cargo also held one of the largest gold cups ever found from the Tang Dynasty. These treasures are now displayed at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore.

10. Korean 12th-Century Shipwreck

Value: Undisclosed

Date found: 2007

Location found: Off the South Korean coast

The History Behind the Shipwreck

A local fisherman caught an octopus clutching an ancient plate and notified the authorities of his unusual find.

In 2007, South Korean archaeologists found a rich cache of well-preserved porcelain from the 12th-century shipwreck that they believe were intended for nobles of the Goryeo Dynasty. The collection includes 2,500 expensive cups, bowls and plates.

9. Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes

Value: $500 million in gold and silver coins

Date found: 2007

Location found: 100 miles west of the Straits of Gibraltar

The History Behind the Shipwreck

This 36-gun Spanish Navy frigate was launched from Havana, Cuba, in 1786 and was part of a small flotilla heading to Andalusia, Spain, when it was sunk by a British ship on Oct. 5, 1804, in the Battle of Cape Santa Maria. The Royal Navy sent a single shot that hit the ship's magazine, creating a massive explosion that caused the ship to sink. Two-hundred and fifthy Spanish crew members were lost at sea, along with $500 million in coins.

The wreck was discovered in 2007 by Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. and, at the time, was named the Black Swan until Spain identified the ship as the Mercedes. After a lengthy court battle, Spain took control of the 14.5-ton, gold-and-silver-coin cargo in February 2012.

8. Bom Jesus

Value: $9 million

Date found: April 1, 2008

Location found: The coast of Namibia

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Bom Jesus was a Portuguese trading vessel from the early 1500s used for European trade from the Mediterranean to the Baltic. It set sail on March 7, 1533, and was never seen again. But in 2008, the wreck was discovered during a diamond mining operation. Archeologists believe the vessel was headed for western India to transport its luxury cargo when it pulled too close to shore in Namibia during a storm, hit a rock and sank.

The wreck was discovered by Kaapamda Shadika after he found copper ingots and elephant ivory while excavating an onshore area licensed to the De Beers company. Its valuable cargo included 1,845 copper ingots weighing approximately 16 to 17 tons, 2,000-plus gold and silver coins and 105 elephant tusks. Nautical tools, weapons, silks and spices were also found aboard the ship. Work is still underway to preserve the artifacts for display in a public museum in Lisbon.

7. SSS Gairsoppa

Value: $210 million of pig iron, tea and silver

Date found: Sept. 26, 2011

Location found: Off the coast of Ireland

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The SSS Gairsoppa was a British cargo steamship launched in 1919 from Newcastle and used primarily for commercial shipping between India and Southeast Asia. As World War II loomed, she joined a British naval fleet that departed from Liverpool on Jan. 31, 1941, with 85 crew members. She carried a heavy cargo of pig iron, tea and 200 tons of silver. Unfortunately, the 399-foot ship sunk on Feb. 16, 1941, after being torpedoed by a German U-Boat.

The wreckage was identified by Odyssey Marine off the coast of Ireland in 2011. By 2013, it was reported that 6 tons of silver bullion had been found, and Odyssey retained 80 percent of the valuable cargo.

6. S.S. City of Cairo

Value: $50 million

Date found: April 2015

Location found: South of the Atlantic island of St. Helena

The History Behind the Shipwreck

This British steamship, a cargo and passenger ship, was sailing from India to England when it was struck by a German U-boat and sank in 1942. The wreckage was discovered in April 2015 by Deep Ocean Search and has earned the world record for being the deepest shipwreck recovery at a depth of about 17,000 feet (5,150 meters).

Its expensive cargo mainly consisted of silver coins (roughly 100 tons) belonging to the U.K. treasury, and its bounty is estimated at $50 million.

5. The San Jose

Value: $17-22 billion in gold, silver and emeralds

Date found: Nov. 27, 2015

Location found: Near Baru Island just south of Cartagena, Colombia

The History Behind the Shipwreck

Known as the "holy grail" of shipwrecks, the 64-gun Spanish galleon San Jose was carrying $17-22 billion in gold and jewels to king Phillip V when it was sunk by British warships on June 8, 1708. Most of the 600 men onboard went down with the ship and its valuable treasure.

The Colombian Navy discovered the shipwreck 300 years later in 2015. The total value of gold, silver and jewels makes it the most valuable treasure find to date.

4. 1715 Treasure Fleet

Value: Possibly between $50-400 million

Date found: 2015

Location found: 30 miles in shallow water north of West Palm Beach, Florida

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The Schmitts family of professional treasure hunters found the 1715 Treasure Fleet that is believed to have sunk during a hurricane when it left Havana, Cuba.

The treasure includes 1 million gold artifacts, such as 51 gold coins and 40 feet of gold chain. However, more valuable treasure remains to be excavated from the wreckage.

3. Caesarea Treasure

Value: $400+ million in gold coins

Date found: April 2016

Location found: In the Mediterranean Sea near the port of Caesarea

The History Behind the Shipwreck

In 2015, Zvika Fayer discovered the extraordinary treasure of Caesarea during a routine dive trip when he first found a gold coin with Arabic script on both sides glittering on the ocean floor.

After detailed excavations over the years, more than 2,000, 24-karat gold coins (known as dinars) with a purity of 95 percent have been unearthed from the 1,600- to 1m700-year-old wreck site. The coins have given archeologists better insight into what the world was like for Caesrea during the 11th century. The valuable haul from the wreck site is considered Israel's greatest gold treasure.

2. Minjiang Treasure

Value: $44+ million

Date found: March 2017

Location found: The Minjiang River

The History Behind the Shipwreck

It's believed that the Minjiang Treasure ship was one of the thousands of ships loaded with treasure collected by Chinese peasant leader Zhang Xianzhong, who led the uprising during the late Ming Dynasty. It sank in 1646 when the peasant leader, who was transporting his treasure south, was confronted by soldiers at the Minjiang River.

From the 1950s to the 1990s, silver continually washed up on the shores of Minjiang. By 2016, an archeological excavation was underway that discovered more than 20,000 items, including 10,000 gold, silver and bronze pieces, valuable jewelry and iron weapons.

1. HMS Endeavor

Value: Pending

Date found: 2018

Location found: Newport Harbor, Rhode Island

The History Behind the Shipwreck

The HMS Endeavor was under the command of the famous Captain James Cook when it was scuttled by the British in August 1778 to block the French fleet from entering the harbor. The ship was first launched in Great Britain in 1764 and sailed the South Pacific before it became the first European ship to reach the east coast of Australia.

The recent discovery of the vessel in 2018 has sparked much debate between the U.S. and Australia over the ship's identity. The U.S. argues that there has been no indisputable evidence yet to prove that the ship is the HMS Endeavor. As of early 2023, the investigation is still ongoing.