# What Are Some Artifacts, Artworks, Treasures, etc. That Are Probably Somewhere, But No One Knows Where? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825 "2023-11-08T14:56:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/81 "2023-11-12T03:19:13Z")
> [@Digger11](#): > > Big Well in Greensburg, KS. It’s 109 feet deep and it was dug by hand. And the step-wells in Northen India. Granted, these were probably not dug by a couple of teenagers, but they go way deeper and were dug (and carved) by hand > **[Adalaj Stepwell](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalaj_Stepwell)** > > Adalaj Stepwell or Rudabai Stepwell is a stepwell located in the small town of Adalaj, close to Gandhinagar city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was built in 1498 in the memory of Rana Veer Singh (the Vaghela dynasty of Dandai Des) by his wife, Queen Rudadevi. > While in Gujarati and Marwari language, the stepwell is called a vav (leading down to the level of water), in other Hindi-speaking regions of North India, it is known as a baoli (also spelt, 'bawdi', 'bawri' and 'bavadi'). > Step wel... I went there, it is incredible. But, this is a hijack so I will refrain from the subject in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/82 "2023-11-12T21:07:53Z")
A number of items of value were lost when the Titanic sank. > **[9 Fascinating Items That Went Down With 'Titanic'](https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/titanic-artifacts-went-down-with-ship)** > > Priceless manuscripts, rare art, and jewelry all sank with the ship. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/83 "2023-11-13T04:17:49Z")
> [@Digger11](#): > > I’m guessing you’ve never heard of the Big Well in Greensburg, KS. I have not. Interesting story, thanks. But comparing a couple of curious, untrained teens to rotating crews of 12-15 men utilizing pickaxes, shovels, ropes, pulleys, and barrels, trucks for removing the excess dirt and an adjusted budget of over 100,000 dollars doesn’t really seem a comparable comparison. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/84 "2023-11-13T12:38:37Z")
> [@Digger11](#): > > I’m not sure how they do that–maybe they photographed it before it was stolen. Undoubtedly. It’d be criminal for museums to not document their holdings in this way. And it’s a LOT easier to photograph your paintings before they’ve been stolen than afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/85 "2023-11-15T17:43:35Z")
Speaking of museums… In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint made 5 coins that had a face value of one million Canadian dollars, and contained 100 kg of gold. Four were sold to collectors. One of the collectors lent their coin to a museum, from which it was stolen. It has never been seen since. > **[Big Maple Leaf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Maple_Leaf)** > > The Big Maple Leaf (BML) is a $1 million (CAD) gold coin weighing 100 kilograms (220 lb) (3,215 troy ounces). A set of five of these coins was produced by the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) in 2007, at their Ottawa facility where the first BML produced remains in storage. > The Big Maple Leaf was recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2007 not only for its status as the world's biggest gold coin but also for its unparalleled gold purity of 99.999 per cent. > As of March 2017\[update\], the market va... ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/86 "2023-11-15T18:19:59Z")
Ooh, another Canadian coin mishap: In 1986 Canada was converting to using dollar coins to replace their paper one-dollar bills (good idea!) The plan was to reuse the same Voyageurs design, as on their previous silver dollars, which I always liked since it includes the northern lights. The new dies were made in Ottawa and were packaged and shipped to the mint in Sudbury. To save money, they sent dies for both sides in the same box (dumb), plainly labeled with the mint addresses (dumber), and sent through a common letter carrier instead of armored car services (dumbest). When the dies never arrived, they had to scramble to come with a new design, which is how the loons ended up on the reverse. [https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum\_v11n46a25.html](https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n46a25.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/87 "2023-11-15T19:11:06Z")
…which is why the Canadian dollar is informally called the loonie. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/88 "2023-11-16T01:14:43Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Speaking of museums… > > In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint made 5 coins that had a face value of one million Canadian dollars, and contained 100 kg of gold. Four were sold to collectors. One of the collectors lent their coin to a museum, from which it was stolen. It has never been seen since > > [Big Maple Leaf - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Maple_Leaf) Cool, but it raises the question (at least, for me), “why”? What possible use could anyone have for a million-dollar gold coin? I don’t think the kind of people who invest in gold like to buy huge unwieldy chunks of it, rather than easily stored gold coins or certificates. But that’s not a rhetorical question; presumably the Canadian mint thought there’d be _some_ benefit to minting these big-ass coins; maybe just pecker-flexing? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/89 "2023-11-16T01:54:31Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > …maybe just pecker-flexing? Pretty much, yeah. The RCM has a reputation for doing weird bleeding-edge things with coins (glow-in-the-dark circulation coins, anyone?) so this was only one of them. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/90 "2023-11-16T19:38:37Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Cool, but it raises the question (at least, for me), “why”? What possible use could anyone have for a million-dollar gold coin? Melt it down, ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/91 "2023-11-16T20:18:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Melt it down, As I recall the gold content was about $4 million US probably a bit more Canadian, but in any case much above it’s $1 million face value. Not that you could have spent it in any case. It would obviously have raised flags. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/92 "2023-11-16T20:33:13Z")
So they had _negative_ seigniorage on these coins? Or did the collectors pay more than the face value? A little fun with Python tells me it would be worth over $6 million USD today. That’s practically begging for people to melt it down. Either that, or use it as the world’s most valuable pizza stone. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/93 "2023-11-16T20:52:53Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > The new dies were made in Ottawa and were packaged and shipped to the mint in Sudbury. To save money, they sent dies for both sides in the same box (dumb), plainly labeled with the mint addresses (dumber), and sent through a common letter carrier instead of armored car services (dumbest). When the dies never arrived, they had to scramble to come with a new design, which is how the loons ended up on the reverse. Which didn’t help the reputation of the Canadian Post Office, after a string strikes in the past decade or two (back when the post office was actually important for business). ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/94 "2023-11-16T20:55:48Z")
Well, I’m still in the Oak Island believer camp.I have been interested in it since the same Reader’s Digest article the Laginas read in the 1960s. As the Internet grew up I periodically searched for updates. I have been glued to the “Curse of Oak Island” TV show since it started. In the past two years they have finally done testing I thought of long before that - to analyze the ground water for traces of silver and gold. Using that technology they have been able to focus the search. If I had won that huge Powerball lottery the first thing I would do is offer to fund the “Big Dig” the Laginas have discussed a few times. This would be a vertical hole large enough to encompass the entire search area. probably 100 feet across. As for digging to the stated depths, that has been done many times by prior searchers with very small groups of diggers. In 1965 Robert Dunfield dug a trench 100 ft wide across one area to a depth of 140 feet by minimal means. It was in raw dirt, no wooden walls. It is shown on page 35 of the link I will provide. Here is a great report I dug up with many photos and cross sectional views of bore holes and shafts. This was presented just before the present group of searchers took over. > **[A10%20Oak%20Island%20Mystery%20Toronto%20Les%20M%20May%2022%202013.pdf](https://www.oakislandmystery.com/images/Les-MacPhie-Files/table-a/A10%20Oak%20Island%20Mystery%20Toronto%20Les%20M%20May%2022%202013.pdf)** > > 16.52 MB ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/95 "2023-11-16T21:01:54Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > That’s practically begging for people to melt it down. Either that, or use it as the world’s most valuable pizza stone. I bet it would make a cracking paperweight! Melting poses numerous problems, in terms of … disposal. In fact, intact would (theoretically) be the way to go. The coin is more or less self-authenticating. Nice problem to have, sort of, depending on how you look at it. It will, on the other hand, gather quite a lot of attention at the pawn shop. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/96 "2023-11-16T21:32:06Z")
Satoshi Nakamoto. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/97 "2023-11-16T22:03:38Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Satoshi Nakamoto Possibly Gerald Cotten as well. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/98 "2023-11-16T22:10:12Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > So they had _negative_ seigniorage on these coins? Or did the collectors pay more than the face value? I’m pretty sure that none of the gold coins, Maple Leafs, Krugerrands, Eagles, etc. are sold at face value. They are all bullion coins that sell for their gold content + a markup. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/99 "2023-11-21T03:45:09Z")
The opera _[A Guest of Honor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Guest_of_Honor_(opera))_ by Scott Joplin. His first opera. The setting is [Booker T. Washington being invited to dinner by TR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington_dinner_at_the_White_House) in the White House in 1901. It was one of the few bright spots for Black Americans during the period called the Nadir of American Race Relations, even though TR was a racist. Joplin filed a copyright application, but didn’t send a copy of the score with it. He was planning to get it published by John Stark & Son in 1903, but first he took the show on the road. Somebody stole the box office take, so Joplin couldn’t pay the boarding house, so they confiscated his stuff, including the opera manuscript. It was never retrieved. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825/100 "2023-11-21T04:10:09Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > There is so much of this that doesn’t make sense. The pirates carried a chest of loot to the tree but needed a block to lower it? The account of the tackle block just left hanging there also seems odd; why just leave it instead of taking it in case you need a block and tackle for something later (not to mention taking it so it’s not a big honking clue to all and sundry that there might be something interesting about this particular spot)? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-artifacts-artworks-treasures-etc-that-are-probably-somewhere-but-no-one-knows-where/992825.md?page=6)