9. The Treasure Of The Lost South African Krugerrands
Modern Value: $250 Million In the late 19th century, the expansion of the British Empire was well underway and Africa was the continent of choice for unclaimed (apart from all the indigenous people, and foreign colonialists but they hardly count) resources. The second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) was fought between the British Empire and the South African Republic, ending in victory for the British Empire as they massively outnumbered the smaller republic and used troops from around the world. Apart from being the war that gifted the world with scorched earth tactics and concentration camps (invented by the British, made famous by the Nazis), the war also left a treasure that has been searched for unsuccessfully for over a century. As the Boers realised that their capital, Pretoria, would soon fall, the government took possession, both legally and illegally of all the gold they could muster. They emptied mines, banks, currency reserves and minted thousands of new coins. As the government relocated as Pretoria fell, much of the gold travelled with the President Paul Kruger as he fled the British. Eventually, Kruger reached the coast and fled by ship, but not before hiding the treasure in the wildlands of North East Transvaal, on very little notice, with very few men and supplies. It seems reasonable to assume that he hid it somewhere easily accessed like a mine or cave system, or in a shallow pit. To this day the treasure remains in the hiding place, although many claim to know where it lies, no one has ever produced any evidence. Local men often try to sell the location to rich and gullible tourists. Who knows, perhaps one of them really does know where the treasure is?