The Treasure of Lima: A Tale of Lost Riches

The Treasure of Lima is one of the most enduring legends of lost wealth, imbued with historical significance, adventure, and mystery. This vast cache, composed of gold, silver, and precious artifacts, vanished in the early 19th century, and its whereabouts have puzzled historians and treasure hunters ever since.

The Composition of the Treasure

• 113 gold religious statues, including a life-size Virgin Mary encrusted with gems
• 200 chests of jewels and precious stones
• 273 swords with jeweled hilts
• 1,000 diamonds
• A significant quantity of silver and gold coins, estimated to weigh several tons
• Solid gold crowns, chalices, and other religious artifacts

The Historical Context

The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in the early 16th century marked the beginning of a flow of immense wealth from Peru to Spain. Lima, founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, became a central hub for the storage and shipment of this wealth.

The Escape Plan

By the early 19th century, Spain's hold over its South American colonies was weakening. The independence movements, led by figures such as Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín, were gaining momentum. In 1820, as San Martín's forces approached Lima, Viceroy José de la Serna decided to evacuate the city’s treasure to protect it from falling into the hands of revolutionaries.

Viceroy de la Serna entrusted this mission to Captain William Thompson, the British captain of the merchant ship Mary Dear. The plan was for Thompson to transport the treasure to Mexico, still under Spanish control, for safekeeping.

The Betrayal and Disappearance

Captain Thompson and his crew were overcome by the temptation of the immense treasure they had been entrusted with. Instead of delivering the cargo to Mexico, they killed the Spanish guards and sailed the Mary Dear to Cocos Island, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) off the coast of Costa Rica. There, they allegedly buried the treasure.

However, Thompson’s betrayal was discovered, and the Spanish authorities captured him and his crew. Facing execution, Thompson and his first mate bargained for their lives by promising to reveal the location of the treasure. They led their captors to Cocos Island but managed to escape into the dense jungle and were never seen again. The treasure's exact location remained a secret, lost to history.

Over the years, many have tried to find the Treasure of Lima, often with great determination but little success. Here are some notable attempts:

August Gissler (1889-1908): This German adventurer spent nearly two decades on Cocos Island searching for the treasure. Despite extensive digging and mapping, Gissler found only a few gold coins.

Sir Malcolm Campbell (1920s): The famous British racing driver led an expedition to Cocos Island, but he too returned empty-handed.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1910): Before becoming the President of the United States, Roosevelt visited Cocos Island with a group of friends. Although they enjoyed their adventure, they found no treasure.

The Schliemann Expeditions (1930s): Led by E. S. Schliemann, purportedly a descendant of Heinrich Schliemann, who discovered Troy. These expeditions used more modern techniques but were similarly unsuccessful.

Bernie Bluestein and Blake MacLeod (1970s): These modern-day treasure hunters conducted extensive searches using metal detectors and other advanced equipment but failed to locate the treasure.

Sea Hunter Expeditions (1990s and 2000s): These expeditions, organized by various groups, employed state-of-the-art technology including ground-penetrating radar and underwater exploration devices, but the treasure continued to elude discovery.

The Enigmatic Legacy

The Treasure of Lima remains one of the largest legends of lost wealth. Despite numerous expeditions and technological advancements, the exact location of the treasure has never been confirmed.

The island of Cocos, with its rugged landscape and dense jungles, adds to the treasure’s allure, inviting treasure hunters and adventurers to try their luck in uncovering what many believe is still hidden beneath its soil. Whether buried deep in the earth of Cocos Island or hidden elsewhere, the Treasure of Lima endures as one of history's greatest unsolved mysteries.

Will you be the one to find it?

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