List of Treasures buried in Cocos Island

Photo courtesy from LockerDome

For you to be really convinced that Cocos Island is really a Treasure Island and join the belief of others like Stevenson himself for example, allow us to lay down all the treasures that were buried in this offshore Costa Rican Island.

The Treasure of Davis (1685)

Estimated current value:

The reputation of Cocos Island as an island filled with treasure started when Captain Edward Davis raided the City of Leon in Nicaragua and some areas in Panama where he was able to accumulate a huge loot. This English Buccaneer, together with his crew, were the first team to bury treasure in Cocos Island where it is believed to be buried somewhere in Chatham Bay. Stories have been told that the bulk of the treasure has been recovered, but there is no evidence to prove such claims where all statements are based on speculation.

The Devonshire Treasure (1818)

Estimated current value: $16,000,000,000.00

Photo courtesy from BullionVault

Perhaps considered as the biggest treasured hoard ever buried in Cocos Island, the haul of HMS Devonshire commanded by Captain Bennett Grahame yielded 350 tons of bullion or gold bars as a result of multiple galleon raids in the South Pacific while in disguise in conducting a coastal survey. Attempts were made to recover the treasure using a map made by Captain Grahame himself and to be led by the nonetheless one of the surviving crew. But unfortunately, markers and landmarks have all been displaced making the treasure find next to impossible.

Benito Bonito’s Treasure (1818)

Estimated current value: $300,000,000.00

Photo courtesy from Canada.com

This notorious looter has raided the major ports of the Americas back then where one of his famous works includes the ambush of Spanish Guards who were transporting gold from the Mexican Cordillera to Acapulco. He is fondly known to wear Spanish Guard Uniform in disguise of his crazy act where he can easily come in close contact and raid a Spanish Galleon full of golden treasure where he bury it all in Cocos Island.

The Treasure of Lima (1820)

Estimated current value: $200,000,000.00

Photo courtesy from World News Daily Report

When the Spanish colony in Lima was about to be attack, the Viceroy ordered all the 50 churches under its jurisdiction to hide their ecclesiastical treasure by storing it in a commissioned ship while setting sail to the open seas away from the battle zone. But as the ship’s commander English Captain William Thompson was tempted to have an instant wealth, he and his men killed all the Spanish guards and set sail to Cocos Island where they buried the treasure which include a life-size solid gold statue of the Virgen Mary and the Child Jesus weighing at least 780 pounds (354 kilos). But as they left Cocos Island after they buried the treasure, they were apprehended by a Spanish warship where they were place in trial and convicted for piracy.

For more information, you can read our related article about the Long-Lost Treasures of Lima, Benito Bonito and Devonshire.

Reference

BC Alter: www.bc-alter.net

Trove: www.trove.nla.gov.au

Vladi Private Islands: www.vladi-private-islands.de

About Tristan Paylado
Tristan is a marine biologist and a CMAS 2-Star Dive Instructor
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