11 Astonishing Underwater Treasures That Made Fortunes and Defy Belief

9. Central America Ship

The SS Central America: The Legendary Ship of Gold Estimated Value: $765 million* Year Lost: 1857 Year Found: 1988 The SS Central America, known as the "Ship of Gold," sank in a hurricane in 1857, taking with it 30,000 pounds of gold and triggering a financial crisis in the United States. The cargo’s value today is estimated at $765 million.

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Recovering the Gold of the SS Central America In 1988, searchers located the lost treasure, including an eighty-pound gold ingot that sold for $8 million, setting a record for the world’s most valuable coin at the time.