There are many theories as to where Blackbeard’s treasure might lie, but in the 300 years since he died, nothing has been found. Though Blackbeard’s ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge, is thought to have been discovered in 1996, there was little on board of value aside from a handful of gold. Before his bloody death in 1718, Blackbeard stated that his ‘real’ treasure “lay in a location known only to him and the devil.” He primarily attacked ships rich in gold, silver and other treasures leaving Mexico and South America on their way back to Spain.Īccording to his ledger, Blackbeard’s wealth was evaluated at $12.5 million, which was relatively little for a pirate of his stature. Infamous pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, terrorised the West Indies and east coast of America in the late 17th to early 18th centuries. Blackbeard’s TreasureĪ 1920 painting entitled ‘Capture of the Pirate, Blackbeard, 1718’, depicting the battle between Blackbeard the Pirate and Lieutenant Maynard in Ocracoke Bay. Treasure hunters have scoured every location imaginable in search of the treasure, but have discovered nothing. However, he didn’t tell anyone where the book was. He explained that the chest contents were itemised in a book wrapped in parchment and marked with the letter ‘D’. Inside was gold, jewellery, silver, pearls, Chinese porcelain, paintings, fabrics and valuable precious stones. However, in his will, he wrote about a chest with a carved wood pattern on the lid which he kept in his cabin. After he died in 1747, much of his wealth went to his heirs. Pargo was eventually the richest man of the Canary Islands. 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. He dominated the route between Cádiz and the Caribbean, mainly attacking ships belonging to enemies of the Spanish Crown. A false find in 2015 caused a media frenzy, and today, treasure hunters are hard at work to find the remainder of the loot which is reported to be anywhere from the Caribbean to the east coast of America.Īmaro Pargo was a Spanish pirate turned privateer who lived from the late 17th century into the first half of the 18th century. Kidd tried in vain to use the location of his hidden treasure as a bargaining chip at his trial. Only 10,000 Pounds were ever recovered from Gardiner’s Island off the coast of Long Island, NY, and were sent to England along with Kidd in 1700 as evidence against him. He turned to a life of piracy, mainly across the Indian Ocean, before eventually being executed in 1701 for murder and piracy.īefore he died, Kidd claimed to have buried a treasure worth 40,000 British Pounds, though rumours stated that it was more like 400,000. He started his career as a respected privateer, hired by European royals to attack foreign ships and protect trade routes. Scottish Captain William Kidd is one of the most famous pirates in history. 1645-1701), British privateer and pirate, burying a Bible near Plymouth Sound to launch his career. Captain William Kidd’s TreasureĬaptain William Kidd (c. Here are 5 of the most famous lost pirate treasures in existence. Only one – the Wydah Galley Treasure – has been found, having previously been one of the most sought-after pirate treasures on the planet. 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. Gold, weapons, medicines, spices, sugar, tobacco, cotton and even enslaved people made up just some of the plunder seized by marauding pirate crews. They primarily operated in the Caribbean, the coast of Africa and the Pacific and Indian Oceans. During this period, hundreds of pirate ships plagued the seas, attacking and robbing any non-Naval vessels that crossed their paths. The so-called ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ lasted from around 1650 to 1730. 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. The image of pirates as one-eyed, one-legged, bloodthirsty plunderers who made off with chests brimming with treasure pervades popular culture.
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