Seek the Treasure Trivia Quiz

Answer: Robert E. Lee

The sword has an inscription on the blade: "To General Robert E. Lee, from his British sympathizers." However, the General never received this gift, because the 'Fannie and Jennie' was burned by the Union Navy before it reached its destination. All hands were saved, except for the Captain and his purser.

The existence of the golden sword was confirmed by both the captured Confederate sailors, and the Union commander who took the ship - Peirce Crosby. Interestingly, Commander Crosby only reported that the sword was on the ship, not that it had been recovered.

There is some confusion as to what happened to General Lee's sword. The most popular theory is that it lies on the ocean floor with what remains of the 'Fannie and Jennie', near Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina.

Answer: Cocos Island

After he was captured, Captain Thompson admitted to killing the passengers and burying the treasure on Cocos Island, intending to return for it later. In order to escape execution, he agreed to lead his captors to the treasure. Some say Thompson then fled into the jungle, never to be seen again; others say he died years later, under the care of a friend named Keating. Hundreds of treasure hunters have since visited the island.

There have been no confirmed reports of any treasure being found. Still, the search continues. Legend has it that among the over $60,000,000 worth of valuables Thompson hid are 4,000 gold doubloons, over 2,000 individual gems, and at least one seven-foot solid gold statue of the Virgin Mary.

Answer: 'Portrait of a Young Man' by Raphael

In 1940, the painting ended up with Hans Frank, the Nazi-appointed governor of Poland. Frank left his residence in Krakow five years later, and it is believed he took the Raphael with him. Frank was arrested in May of 1945. Two other paintings he had confiscated were in his new residence in Bavaria - Rembrandt's 'Landscape with Good Samaritan' and da Vinci's 'Lady with an Ermine.' However, the Raphael had disappeared. Frank refused to divulge its location.

He was eventually hung for crimes against humanity. One theory is that Frank had given the painting to a man named Wilhelm de Palisieux, but this has not been proven.

Then, in August 2012, the painting was reported to have been found in a bank vault.

Answer: A Fabergé egg

Eight of the sixty-nine precious eggs crafted by Peter Carl Fabergé are lost or missing. The Romanov palaces were raided during the Bolshevik Revolution, and it is possible that these missing eggs ended up with the rest of the valuables in the Kremlin Armoury, at least for a time. Joseph Stalin had some of the armoury treasures sold in the 1920's and 30's.

The Empire Nephrite was made of nephrite (jade) and featured a medallion portrait of Czar Nicolas' father, Alexander III. The Czar gave the egg to his mother as an Easter present.

Answer: Lost in a marsh due to high tide

King John was attempting to travel across the estuary known as 'The Wash' from King's Lynn. He was fleeing the army of Prince Louis of France, who the English barons had invited to take the throne. John took a longer, safe route around the marshy Wash, but he sent his slow-moving baggage train directly across the estuary.

The horse drawn wagons moved too slowly to make it across before high tide, and most of the King's baggage - including the Crown Jewels - were lost. Due to deposits of sediment over the years, the coastline of The Wash has changed dramatically since the 13th century.

This would make it very difficult to locate the jewels today, especially since the exact spot where they were lost is unknown.

Answer: Itjtawy

Itjtawy was founded by King Amenemhat I. No ruins have been found, if any exist. It is thought to be somewhere in the Fayyum region, south of Memphis. Cemeteries were unearthed in the nearby towns of el-Lisht, el-Lahun, and Dahshur.

Answer: Genghis Khan

The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in Ejin Horo Qi is his memorial, but his body is not there. According to his request, the Khan was buried in an unmarked grave upon his death in 1227. It is said that the slaves who built the tomb were murdered to keep its location secret. Many think it likely that he was buried somewhere near his birthplace in the Khentii Aimag province of Mongolia.

Answer: Golden Mace

The mace is an ornamental staff used in civic ceremonies, as a symbol of authority. The stolen mace was 1.5 meters long, made of silver and overlaid with gold, and engraved with the Victorian coat-of-arms. The Parliamentary electrician was suspected of the theft, but no there was no real evidence against him and no charges were laid. With no clues to follow, the case of the missing mace was eventually dropped.

The golden mace remains lost.

Answer: Philippines - Yamashita's Gold

The existence of Yamashita's Gold is disputed by historians. The story goes that General Tomoyuki Yamashita, commander of Japanese forces in the Philippines, oversaw the burial of a cache of loot taken from southeast Asian banks, churches, museums, etc.

The idea was that this treasure would finance the Japanese war effort. Skeptics say that this theory doesn't make much sense, saying that it would have been wiser to send such a treasure to a safer place, such as Taiwan, China, or the home islands of Japan. Still, this didn't deter most fortune seekers.

In March of 1998, five people found a live WWII bomb in the Rizal province, while searching for treasure. Apparently (we'll never know for sure) they didn't understand what their find was, and tried to pry it open with a crowbar. - Please remember, it is important to exercise caution at all times in your treasure hunting adventures.

Answer: Ruby Slippers (Wizard of Oz)

There were four pairs of ruby slippers that were used in the film. (Seven pairs were made in total.) One is on permanent display in the Smithsonian Institution, two were auctioned off to private collectors, and the fourth pair were stolen while on display in the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Local police reported that an emergency exit window was smashed, the slipper's glass case broken, and that the museum's alarm system had been shut off.

The shoes were insured for $1,000,000. No arrests have been made.

The search continues for what has been called "the Holy Grail of Hollywood nostalgia."