Finding Buried Treasure

Some of my favorite programs to watch are “Expedition Unknown” and other history shows about buried treasures and shipwreck loot. I enjoy them because it’s about history and I love learning about history. Of course, I realize “Expedition Unknown” highlights events that happened previously, and they make it more present-day to make the show more interesting, as if Josh Gates, himself, is right there on first discovery. But who doesn’t like a treasure hunt… even if it’s not totally in the present year.

The episode this week was of John Ashley, a gangster/pirate/bootlegger, living in the Florida Everglades, who supposedly buried a lot of money in the swamp. (Of course, they never find the real treasure.)

It got me to wondering again… all these buried treasure tales from the Aztecs, the Dalton Gang, Jesse James, John Dillinger, and anyone who’s ever been said to have buried treasure, and more – is it really possible there’s ALL that treasure/money out there that’s never been found? When people have been searching for hundreds of years? I even watched some episodes a year or so ago about a train car full of Confederate gold supposedly sunk in … Lake Michigan … I think it was.

I vaguely remember a few years ago a couple in California found some buried treasure while out hiking but that doesn’t happen often. (Or, if it does, no one talks about it.) I don’t know how that outcome was.

If there’s all that treasure still buried, why hasn’t it been found with today’s technology? Is it because it really isn’t there? That someone might have already found it? Could the money have already been dispersed by the gangs? That it’s just people keeping the legends alive for publicity’s sake?

I wonder, too, what would happen if you found a stash of buried treasure? Do you turn it in? If it’s viable money, do you keep quiet and spend it? And, what would happen if you turned it in? Would the authorities just keep it? (And did that happen back in the day? Kept quiet and kept the money for themselves?)

I ask myself that question, too. If I found a treasure, would I turn it in? I totally believe in being honest, but in this kind of a case, I’m not sure what I’d do… because I don’t trust anyone. I suppose it depends on the treasure. If it’s something history-museum worthy, I’d definitely turn it in, but if it’s spendable/useable in today’s markets, would I keep quiet no matter how exciting it’d be to find treasure?

Imagine what it’d be like to find buried treasure. Then again, I can go out in my yard and find a new flower blooming or a pretty stone and feel like that’s treasure. But goodness, an honest-to-God, real treasure?

What would you do?