There's something special about treasure that has fascinated us for centuries. From the gold coins of pirates buried in the ground or left in shipwrecks to long-lost paintings and the modern treasure that was a haul of vintage muscle cars in Kentucky, click through to discover some of the biggest, and most exciting, treasure finds from every state.

This southeastern state is famous for its legions of metal-detector hobbyists. Although these amateur treasure hunters may be disappointed to hear the biggest Alabama windfall seems to have been discovered decades ago in the city of Demopolis (pictured) inside an old can that crumbled to the touch. In May of 1926, Gayus Whitfield used a map left behind by Boaz Whitfield (his father) when he came across buried civil war gold worth $200,000, which is worth $2.6 million (£2m) in today’s money. Whitfield divided the gold between himself and nine other heirs, making their family one of the richest around for years to come. 

In 1901, a luxury 240-foot steamship called SS Islander carrying treasure hunters sank off the coast of Alaska, never to be heard from again. Unsurprisingly, reports of gold attracted salvage efforts, but it took a long time to actually find it. The main part of the hull was uncovered in 1934, but it was only in 1996 that the bow where the gold was located was found. Then it wasn't until 2012, when two Washington companies – Ocean Mar and MK Salvage Venture – joined their efforts together that the gold was recovered. And it was worth the wait: the sunken ship revealed gold worth $1.5 million (£1.1m) at face value. But due to its historical importance the gold actually went up for sale for a cool $4 million (£3.1m) in 2016.  Alongside all that gold, the teams found more than 1,000 artefacts which went on show at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau.

Widely regarded as the state with the most ‘lost’ or ‘buried’ treasure, Arizona lore is rife with tales of abandoned gold bars and bank robbers loot. But while thousands of treasure hunters descend on the state every year, one of the only treasure finds of note is the mysterious Tuscon Crosses. These ancient stone crosses are engraved with Latin and Hebrew inscriptions, and have caused controversy ever since they were discovered in 1924: their religious significance has kick started conspiracy theories because they indicate the presence of ancient Europeans in Europe before Columbus. 

In perhaps one of the most unusual treasure hunting cases ever, a family of four in Arkansas discovered buried treasure after following clues in a novel. Breakfast Tea and Bourbon by Peter Bissonette sparked a nationwide treasure hunt in 2017 after readers realised the clues in the book were real. In the novel, a group of friends with an old RV drive off in search of treasure. In real life, the treasure of $50,000 (£39k) was discovered by a Texan family in an undisclosed location in Hot Springs – a city in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. Although novelist Peter claims the actual prize is access to the self-improvement techniques featured in the book. 

In 2014, a dream of discovering buried treasure came true for a Californian couple who found an actual pot of gold while walking on a path they’d used for years. After noticing a half-buried rusty can on the side of the path contained a stash of gold coins, the couple returned to the site finding more cans (and more coins) with each trip. The total hoard comprised of 1,411 gold coins from the 1800s worth an estimated $10 million (£7.7m). Both the location of the land and the couple's identity have been kept secret, but the treasure has been dubbed the Saddle Ridge Hoard after a unique identifying feature on the couple's property. 

This state is most famous for the legend of the Fenn Treasure, the cache of eccentric millionaire Forrest Fenn who allegedly hid jewels and gold in the Rocky Mountains. Several hunters have died seeking out the treasure, but it remains to be found. But Colorado isn’t all about lost treasure, plenty has been found there too. During the Colorado Gold Rush in the 1860s, vast amounts of gold deposits were found near rivers and mountains, sparking a frenzy that lasted for a century.

Now read America's great treasures still waiting to be found

There’s vast amounts of treasure to be found in Connecticut but not the gold and jewels you may imagine. In places such as Durham, Connecticut, metal detector enthusiasts get together to find historical artefacts from days gone by. Most recently, a group of treasure hunting hobbyists called the Yankee Territory Coinshooters found a stash of goods from the Revolutionary War period on a property named the James Wadsworth home which is at the corner of Higginum Road and Main Street in Durham, Connecticut. Many of their finds will now fetch a pretty penny at auction. 

It isn’t just hobbyists who are on the hunt for buried treasure. Archaeologists are getting in on the act too. Especially in Delaware which is home to hundreds of ancient shipwrecks. One such case is from 2004 when the wreck of a ship which sunk in the 1770s (later known as the Roosevelt Inlet shipwreck) was discovered in the Roosevelt Inlet off the coast of Lewes, Delaware. Discovering this type of treasure is important because not only can shipwrecks (and the treasures they contain) be worth millions, but they are of huge historical and cultural importance. This makes them extremely sought after in the treasure hunting world with museums competing to buy the discoveries.

Read about the world's greatest shipwrecks and their treasures

In 1715, eleven ships laden with treasure were wrecked in a hurricane and thought to be lost. Unbelievably, one ship’s contents was discovered hundreds of years later by a Florida family. The Scmitt family from Florida literally struck gold in 2013, discovering gold coins and a 40-foot gold chain along with goods from one of the eleven ships. In total their find was worth over $1 million (£777k) in today’s money. After keeping their find a secret for over a month, they took their treasure to be valued and were said to be “beside themselves” when they discovered their million dollar windfall. 

Most known for its numerous legends of lost gold buried during the Civil War, Georgia has also gained a reputation for being home to many historical artefacts. This includes a recent discovery where students from the University of North Georgia discovered artefacts that were 1,500 years old in none other than a cornfield in North Hall County called the Duckett Mill site. In fact, a student spotted broken pottery in his grandfather's cornfield and alerted his professor which led to the excavation of the site by the University with support from local enthusiasts known as the Blue Ridge Archaeology Guild. Pictured are finds from a similar project the two organisations worked on. At the Duckett Mill site, discoveries included unusually-shaped pottery, prehistoric stones and signs of an ancient homestead.

In 2015, Hawaii shipwreck chaser Richard Rogers worked alongside scientists from the Smithsonian Institution in the recovery of a ship owned by King Kamehameha II, the second king of Hawaii. The ship had sunk 191 years before it was found. The team discovered gold, silver, precious gemstones, rare shells and ancient items from all over the world. But while the haul could be worth millions, experts say the historical impact is the most priceless aspect of all. The artefacts will be displayed at the The Kauai Museum in Hawaii.

As a former Gold Rush state, Idaho folklore is rich in tales of lost loot and buried treasure. From 1860, thousands of people from all over the world travelled to Idaho with dreams of striking rich.  Many were not disappointed; the most productive area of Boise Basin County has produced 3 million troy ounces (90 tons) alone. But it's not relegated to history, and there are still active gold mines in the state today.

Treasure hunting isn’t just about making some quick cash, it’s often a big part of preserving important stories from the past. Recently the state of Illinois was part of one such project. Archaeologists and a team of 23 volunteers from across the country spent five days painstakingly searching for artefacts across 140-acres of the Illinois Iron Furnace Historic Site, which was built in 1837. Important discoveries included an ancient cemetery and an entire 19th century house.

When it comes to treasure, Indiana has become synonymous with the mysterious case of Don Miller. A former US Army officer who spent much of his life travelling the world, illegally amassed a stash of 42,000 priceless artefacts in the process. In 2014, when Miller was 91, a SWAT team from the FBI Art Crime Department, including a helicopter, surrounded Miller's farm. The haul included 361 cultural artefacts and figurines from China (pictured) which all had to be returned. According to the FBI, this was the biggest return of items of this type from the USA to China ever. His collection also included giant snakeskins, Native American arrowheads and concrete from Hitler’s bunker. Miller’s case hit international news with questions raised regarding how he moved objects from one country to another, how he evaded suspicion for so long and how he got hold of so many unusual artefacts in the first place. Miller died nearly a year after the raid, and was never charged.

Stories of outlaw hoards, Native American riches and ghost town treasures have haunted Iowa for hundreds of years. These rumours attract hundreds of metal detector hobbyists to the state every year with dreams of finding lost treasure. While the most infamous treasures remain lost, there have been many instances of treasure hunters finding windfalls. Recent finds include a cache of expensive coins, an unusual (yet valuable) antique ammo can and 375 million year old fossils which were discovered at the Devonian Fossil Gorge (pictured).

Treasure hunting doesn’t always require a metal detector and hours of digging. If you know where to look, unusual types of treasure can be found in the most unexpected places. Recently residents of rural Kansas town Wamego experienced just this. The Columbian Theatre was opened in 1895 as a music hall, and its builder J C Rogers originally decorated it with six murals from Chicago's World Fair 1893 that celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage. The theatre was abandoned in the 1950s, but lying inside remained the murals as well as 15 other paintings. When residents took them to be appraised they were astonished to find they were worth $800,000 (£622k). The twist? The painters are unknown and it’s only due to their historical significance that they’re worth a fortune. And now the theatre is back open for business, it's sure to prove a huge draw for tourists. 

When we imagine treasure, we often picture a chest brimming with gold coins or precious items from years gone by. But sometimes, it’s more modern objects that can make treasure hunters really rich. A great example of a more modern style of treasure hunting is the tale of a Clarksville muscle car enthusiast who found a rare stash of vehicles in a Kentucky salvage yard. Patrick Nichols made it his life’s mission to find and rescue vintage cars from the scrapheap,  recently received a tip about a salvage yard that had rare abandoned muscle cars. Upon finding the site, Nicholls found four or five classic muscle cars including a Big Block SS Chevelles and a Pontiac Firebird Convertible. The haul of classic car treasure is worth thousands. 

This southeastern state has a huge treasure hunting culture with hobby historians, antique collectors and metal detector groups all wanting a piece of the action. But it was an interactive online global treasure hunt that really put Lousiana on the map for treasure hunting. Brain Chase is a computer game in which participants watch videos and decode messages to try and find a real life grand prize. Its most recent lucky winner was nine-year-old Briggs Dommert who (along with his family) realised the treasure was located in Folsom, Louisiana. The Dommert family travelled from Atlanta, Georgia to find the treasure and in the process netted a sweet $20,000 (£15.5k) in college scholarship money. Not bad for playing a computer game.

Maine resident Guy Marsden describes his metal detector hobby as "addicting". Which isn’t surprising as in just a few years he’s netted a haul of jewellery, Civil War relics and rare coins. After going to "YouTube university" to learn about metal detecting, Guy has become one of the state’s most prolific detectorists. His biggest find has been a super-valuable 1907 bronze medallion which he found buried at an undisclosed historic farm house in Maine built in 1818 (and similar to the one pictured here in 1900). Guy later donated his medallion to a local historical society. Guy has his own blog, guydigsitup.com, where he features his finds.

As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and this couldn’t be more true in the state of Maryland. With its rich heritage and bustling antique store culture, there’s plenty of non traditional treasure to be found. The tiny town of Crumpton is an internationally renowned spot for antique hunting with locals, dealers and treasure hunters alike pitching up to strike it lucky. Recent success stories include furniture bought for $40 (£31) dollars which then sold for $400 (£311) on eBay and a rare carnelian stone dragon ring found sitting amongst antique x-ray machines and vintage 1960s clothing.  

In one of the more stranger cases of amateur treasure hunting, a Massachusetts man dredged up an arsenal of vintage guns from Pillings Pond in Lynnfield, Massachusetts during his first experience of metal detecting. The unnamed resident was trying magnet fishing, a treasure hunting method which is used to find artefacts in depths of water. When the magnet reacted, he unexpectedly hoisted up a loaded Uzi submachine gun, a loaded .40 caliber Glock handgun, a Colt Cobra revolver, a rusted revolver and a semiautomatic handgun. He didn't make any money out of his find though: Massachusetts State Police were called and the guns were sent for analysis to prevent them being sold. If they had made it to auction this collection of weapons would have reached thousands. 

Detroit resident Valerie Panosian was delighted to discover ‘treasure’ that had been sitting in her home for decades. After WWII, her father returned from Marine duty in the Pacific bringing with him two beautiful antique vases. Valerie kept the vases for years before realising similar designs were fetching a hefty sum on sites such as eBay (pictured is a vase very similar to Valerie's). Upon taking the vases to be appraised, she was shocked to discover their cultural significance which meant they could fetch over $300 (around £233) each at auction. 

Metal detecting is often dismissed as a quirky hobby, but many Minnesota residents are seeing success as detectorists. One such enthusiast is local man Reese Burnett who has made some incredible discoveries in locations such as Lake Phelan and Lake Calhoun in Minnesota. Pictured is one of Reese's recent hauls which included valuable coins and historical artefacts. Previously, he's also been lucky to uncover artefacts such as viking relics, celtic coins and vintage pistols. Like many of these amateur treasure hunters, Reese has been searching for lucky finds in Minnesota for decades, spurred on by legends of gold coins waiting to be found in the states many lakes and rivers. 

Imagine buying an abandoned (yet charming) building to transform into a boutique hotel only to find it filled with unpublished work by an obscure writer. Well, that’s exactly what happened to a couple from Brookhaven, Mississippi. After purchasing a vintage house, Roy and Elena Segers were stunned to find thousands of poems, a few plays and a couple of complete novels by noted writer 19th century writer, Tallulah Ragsdale (pictured). While the work could fetch a high price at auction, the added mystique of the house’s story could mean the couple’s dream of running a B&B will now become a fantastic investment too.

In Missouri, folklore became reality when a mysterious sunken steamship was discovered under a cornfield in Malta Bend, Missouri. For generations, tales have been told about ghostly steamships lost at the bottom of the Missouri river. But lifelong resident Steve Mertensmeyer never expected to actually find one.After being fascinated by the steamboat stories as a child, Steve enlisted the help of local expert Bob Hawley (pictured) and after a lot of detective work, the pair eventually dredged up the Steamboat Arabia in the 1980s. Inside was 200 tons worth of historical objects that sank in 1856. So much treasure was discovered that the Hawley family founded the Arabia Steamboat Museum situated further down the Missouri River in Kansas City. Years later Bob’s son David became famous for discovering another sunken ship and taking over the running of the museum.

Montana has a huge amount of incredible fossils and specimens that have been discovered beneath the earth. Fossils can reach valuations of millions of dollars so as a result, the state is a magnet for treasure hunters and archaeologists looking to make a fortune. But it isn’t as easy as picking up a shovel and selling a few bones. In 2006 treasure hunter Clayton Phipps (pictured) found a fossil of two intertwined dinosaurs called the Dueling Dinosaurs on the land of a ranch in Hell Creek. As the fossils are worth a whopping $5 million (£11.7m) the couple who owned the surface rights, and one-third of the mineral rights, of the land tried to sell them. However, they soon became locked in a court battle with the couple who own the remaining two-thirds of the mineral rights. The case had been through four courts with both couples having favourable rulings, until the state created a law that made dinosaur fossils as part of the surface estate.

It’s rare to hear stories about treasure hunters searching for gold hidden by their own family members, but that’s exactly the situation Nebraska native Alison Johnson found herself in. Her super-wealthy father Dean Krotter, was notoriously suspicious of banks, choosing instead to buy silver and gold coins and then hide his vast wealth in several locations and properties he owned across Palisade, Nebraska. Upon his passing, Alison and her family decided to hunt for the money, finding dozens of containers filled with gold coins in weird locations including in an attic and under a bed. In total, the family believe they have unearthed gold coins worth over $1.5 million (£1.1m) and have generated extra income by writing a book about their adventures. But the story doesn’t end there. According to a family friend, Alison’s father also buried gold coins out in the Nebraska wilderness. Alison says the gold could be worth up to $200,000 (£156k) if anyone is brave enough to go out and find it.

When people choose where to hunt for treasure, they’re often inspired by legends of lost treasure. However as this rare case from Nevada shows, sometimes riches can be found that nobody has ever heard of. Lovelock, Nevada was once home to a ‘Chinatown’ where families and livelihoods thrived. But by 1975 the area became deserted as families moved on. When a construction firm purchased the land to reinvigorate the abandoned town, they were required to conduct an archaeological study of the remaining buildings before any work began. What they found astonished them. Tucked away in one of the buildings was a cache of gold, silver and coins from the 1900s worth an incredible $200,000 (£156k).

Home to some of the most famous treasure legends in the USA, New Hampshire has become an incredibly popular destination for treasure hunters. Enthusiasts have become obsessed with discovering the ancient coins rumoured to be beneath Seabrook Beach or unearthing the lost Silver Madonna, a 10-pound silver figure of the Virgin Mary and Jesus on her lap, which is supposedly worth $15,000 (£11.7k). But while these legends remain lost, many metal detectorists have enjoyed plenty of windfalls including Roosevelt coins from the 1800s which can be worth up to $125 (£97) per roll.

Captain William Kidd was a Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy in the 1700s. During his lifetime he was rumoured to have  buried £40,000 – the equivalent of £8 million ($10.5m) today – in various locations. Only £10,000 of it has been recovered, and when gold pieces were recovered from Gardiners Island off Long Island, New York, many people believe his treasure is hidden in nearby in New Jersey. This theory certainly showed promise in 1948 when a lobsterman found old gold coins on the beach of Highlands, New Jersey (pictured). This started a gold rush with people coming from all over the world to dig up Kidd’s treasure, but the coins turned out to be from 1730 which was long after Kidd’s death in 1701. It’s now thought that the coins came from a British frigate ship that sank nearby and that Kidd’s treasure is still out there. 

The deserts of New Mexico offer treasure hunters a temptingly deserted location. And for 13-year-old amateur metal detectorist Jansen Lyons, they presented a unique opportunity to become part of scientific history. In 2012, using a metal detector built by his grandfather, Jansen uncovered a two-pound meteorite that he swiftly whisked off to the University of New Mexico's Institute of Meteoritics. When his discovery was confirmed as a 10,000-year-old meteorite he agreed to donate the specimen to a local museum (keeping a chunk for himself). And while Jansen is free to sell his find for a huge price, he now also has the option to enjoy a lucrative career as a scientist, with the Institute offering him a job when he’s an adult.

Think treasure can only be found in remote, rural locations? Try heading to New York City where if you’re lucky, a unique antique could net you an amazing windfall. Especially if your discovery is of a literary nature. This was the case with book collector William Self who came into posession of rare first-edition of Edgar Allan Poe's first book Tamerlane and Other Poems by ‘A Bostonian’. The book was originally discovered in 1926 or 1927 in the New York area, but all other information about the find has been kept confidential as it's since been auctioned and sold privately. The book sold at Christie's for $662,500 (£516k), which set a new sales record for a complete work of American literature. A single poem manuscript by Poe was also sold at the same auction for $830,500 (£647k). 

Sometimes adverse weather conditions can mean buried treasure finds its way to the surface. This was the case for a father-son treasure hunting team from North Carolina who found a 100-year-old ship on their land. Dry weather caused parts of the ship to emerge from the earth, leading to the strange discovery by landowners, Tim and Ross Fisher. Funnily enough, the Fishers had actually purchased the land for the purpose of treasure hunting as it was historically home to the famous Portis Gold Mine. In fact, this is how the ship came to be on their land as it’s a type of old boat known as a gold dredge (as pictured). Tim told reporters people had called him "crazy" when he purchased the plot but had now proved everyone wrong with this exceptional find.

Another hotspot for fossils, North Dakota is an essential destination for treasure hunters. Important discoveries have been made in the state as recently as 2019 when a 23-year-old college student named Harrison Duran dug up a Triceratops skull over 65 million years old in North Dakota's section of the Hell Creek formation – a rock bed formation that spans the four states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The location of the skull remains a secret, but it is planned that it will have an educational purpose, rotating through different locations.

It isn’t just dinosaur bones that can make treasure hunters millionaires, finds from the Ice Age can be worth a considerable sum too. Just ask Jackson Hepner, a 12-year-old boy who found a woolly mammoth tooth (pictured) while on a family trip to Ohio’s Amish country this August. While exploring a local creek that passes through the Inn at Honey Run in Millersville, he stumbled across the ancient fossil which was quickly verified by local experts. Jackson plans to hang on to his find "to show his friends".  But if he did want to part with it the tooth could fetch over $750 (£583) at an auction, or even more if sold to a private collector or prestigious institution.

Oklahoma is home to another successful young treasure hunter. Seven-year-old Tripp Enyart struck gold in his backyard while using a metal detector with his grandfather in 2018. While using the device they came across rings, diamonds and pearls worth thousands of dollars, all buried in the soil. Tripp’s haul also boasted historical artefacts such as an old gun, half-dollars from the 1800s and a book about Shakespeare that someone used as a diary.

In the 1900s, rumours of lost Spanish treasure were used to encourage wealthy people to purchase land in Oregon. Fast forward to this century however, and its reality TV that's put Oregon on the map for treasure hunting. In a recent episode of America’s Pickers (a reality show about competitive antiquing) Oregon resident Bob Russell (pictured) generated more than $10,000 (£7.8k) by selling his antiques. Bob’s collection included quirky finds such as a vintage barber shop pole he discovered as a boy. The money all went to a good cause as Bob was raising cash to pay for repairs after the mill he owned caught fire.

The most famous treasure found in Pennsylvania has officially never been found. At least according the FBI. A local legend states that in 1863, a special unit was tasked with transporting 26 gold bars, each weighing 50 pounds across the country. They were ambushed and the gold was lost forever. Decades later, local man Dennis Parada picked up the search, using high-tech equipment to pinpoint the exact mountainside location of the treasure. However, when he returned to excavate, he discovered a mysterious organisation had already removed tons of gold and handed it over to the FBI. With the gold estimated to be worth over $27 million (£22m), Dennis’s son has now joined the search, sparing no expense to find out what really happened to the windfall.

Captain Cook is known for setting sail in the HMS Endeavor and discovering New Zealand and charting Australia's Great Barrier Reef. His famous achievement resulted in his statue (pictured) appearing in the city of Sydney hundreds of years later. But with the strong Australian heritage of his story, who’d have thought his famous ship would be discovered hundreds of years later off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island? A team of archaeologists working with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project began to unearth this incredible find in 2016 revealing thousands of rare artefacts in the process.

South Carolina is also home to a rather lucrative shipwreck. The Steamship North Carolina which sunk in 1840 has been popular with divers since the 1990s when $700,000-worth of gold coins were discovered. Lying  20 miles off the South Carolina coast, the ship known to divers as the 'Copper Pot' has delivered once again, with more $5 gold coins being found in 2019.  The ship is still being explored meaning the total valuation hasn’t been revealed yet. 

This state is so famous for its treasure it inspired the iconic gold-strike TV show Deadwood. In the 1800s, South Dakota was home to famous figures such as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok and one of its mines, the Homestake Mine, produced 10% of the world’s gold supply for a period of 125 years. During the Black Hills Gold Rush, a typical haul could be worth up to $300,000 (£233k) in today’s money. 

In Tennessee, one family went on a treasure hunt inside their own home. Posting under a pseudonym on online forum Reddit, one of the family members in question explained their story. Revealing that his grandparents were avid treasure collectors, they weren’t surprised to find a mysterious concrete safe when clearing out the grandparent’s old house for sale in 2017. What was unusual is that while the family members were expecting to find pistols (his grandparents were known for hoarding antique weapons) they were astonished to uncover a cache of expensive pocket watches, money, boxes of jewellery, dozens of rare collectable coins and yep, a few more pistols. After posting photos online as proof of their find, the family are now sure to collect a large sum for their efforts.

This supersized state is known for having the most unsolved treasure mysteries in the USA, including buried treasure worth an estimated $340 million (£258m). So it’s no surprise its home to a huge amount of treasure hunters.In fact some private landowners actually invite metal detectorists onto their land to help them find treasure. Recent notable discoveries of this kind in the state include multiple boxes full of money found buried on a plot of land and tons of valuable coins located in a grassy field. Due to the competitive nature of metal detecting and the fact that these savvy discoverers are searching on private land, the exact locations of their amazing finds are kept a close secret.

The Lost Josephine Gold Mine is a prominent Utah legend that’s captured the attention of treasure lovers across the globe. But in 2013 a local man found what he believes is the location of the Spanish Josephine de Martinque mine that was created and soon abandoned by Jesuit priests in the 17th century. Gary Holt and his son believe that billions of dollars of gold are hidden at Hoyt's Peak in the Uinta Mountains. All he needs now is permission from the US government to excavate. But while experts and scientists back Gary’s claims that gold worth $1.7 billion (£1.3bn) is deep beneath the surface of the area, environmental campaigners claim digging in this area would be detrimental to the natural caverns.

This treasure hunting tale from Vermont proves you don’t have to find genuine treasure to make money from metal detecting. Back in 2018, Brad Martin of Green Mountain Metal Detecting (pictured right) was given unprecedented access to acres of private land in Vermont. While he initially only discovered smaller windfalls such as old coins worth $200 (£155) each, he then unearthed a mega-rare 'pieces of eight’ coin. Famous for being a favourite of pirates, and one of the most valuable coins you can possibly find, this particular coin actually turned out to be counterfeit from the time. But because of its significance this fake coin will still reach thousands at auction.

Now find out about the most valuable metal detector finds ever

Virginia is home to a stash of silver and jewels which 19th Century adventurer Thomas Beale hid, creating three coded Ciphers that would reveal the treasure's contents and location. Called the Beale Ciphers only Cipher number two has been decoded, which reveals the contents of the treasure but not where it is buried. It's for this reason Virginia attracts the attention of treasure hunters the world over. And while Beale's treasure has yet to be unearthed from the Virginian wilderness, plenty of other tempting windfalls await. Recent finds of this kind include Civil War artefacts, Colonial riches and hundreds of rare collectable coins, the locations of which are all secret due to them being found on private land.

An anthropology PhD candidate at Washington State University recently found the "oldest tattooing tool ever discovered in North America". But this didn't take place on an archaeological dig, but in a dusty storage facility. Andrew Gillreath‑Brown discovered the instrument while taking inventory of the university’s artefacts. According to researchers, the tattooing tool is of "great significance" and could be worth hundreds of thousands. But due to its cultural importance, it won't be sold but studied by Andrew and the university team. 

You don’t have to be a treasure hunting expert to make an awesome discovery. Just ask the team of over 30 Boy Scouts who found a mysterious box filled with artefacts in a West Virginia park in 2017. While taking part in a community project, the Scouts came across a wooden box buried in the ground at Guyandotte Park in Huntington. Upon closer inspection, they realised it contained important cultural artefacts such as political campaign buttons from the 1900s and a considerable amount of old paper money and coins.

For this Wisconsin family, metal detecting has become something of a family obsession. Passionate detectorist John Ruth Snr has dug up 50,000 coins over the years, generating about $4,000 (£3.1k). And that's a record his son John (pictured) hopes to beat. Since taking up the hobby, John Jnr has discovered hundreds of historical treasures across Wisconsin, including ancient Jesuit rings and rare Spanish coins.

This state is home to a prolific gold hunter who used her findings to pay for her first home. Jan Earle has had a lifelong fascination with panning for gold, spending the weekends of her youth searching for treasure across Wyoming with her friends.Her biggest ever find was 10 ounces which was worth about $35 an ounce at the time. Jan used it for a downpayment on a property at the time. However, if Jan had kept the gold she could have sold it at $1,500 (£1.2k) an ounce, which is what it’s worth today. But Jan isn’t in it for the money. In fact, she loves her hobby so much, she now teaches students correct gold panning techniques, geology and patience. The three skills she says make the best treasure hunter.

Now read about America's luckiest ever treasure hunters