Nothing is ever so thrilling as the stories of lost treasures and the hidden riches of the world that are on the borders of the legendary. Sunken galleons, plundered gold, and thrilling museum heists have long been the object of fascination for many people, often giving rise to popular urban legends.

But we all know that there is plenty of truth hiding behind these urban myths – and once we dig deeper, plenty of questions start to pop up. Today we are bringing you 10 thrilling stories of the world’s greatest treasures – that have never been found.

The turbulent waves of history have swept these riches under the rug, brought them to the ocean’s bottom, or hidden them from the sight of the world – but how? How does something so precious disappear completely?

Yamashita’s Gold – The Hoard From a Conquering War

War and plunder go hand in hand. They are two sides of the same coin. And World War II was no exception to that rule. In the Pacific front, the most powerful of the Asian belligerents – the Empire of Japan – conducted some organized and top-secret plunder of its conquered opponents.

Read more: ancient origins