"Mysteries at the Museum" Treasure: Lost and Found: Special

1 00:00:02,070 --> 00:00:04,440 A legendary quest for the Holy Grail. 2 00:00:04,540 --> 00:00:06,710 And I was thinking, "Am I holding the cup 3 00:00:06,810 --> 00:00:08,810 that held the blood of Christ?" 4 00:00:08,910 --> 00:00:11,310 A pile of gold lost and found. 5 00:00:11,410 --> 00:00:14,380 They were over the moon about this discovery. 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,880 And a Cold War hunt 7 00:00:16,990 --> 00:00:18,990 for a radioactive treasure. 8 00:00:19,090 --> 00:00:21,150 MAN: It was the best you could ask for. 9 00:00:21,260 --> 00:00:23,520 They were both shocked. 10 00:00:23,630 --> 00:00:25,890 These are the mysteries at the museum. 11 00:00:31,870 --> 00:00:35,370 Medieval ruins built into sandstone cliffs, 12 00:00:35,470 --> 00:00:39,070 a 12-inch wide bridge that winds over a ravine, 13 00:00:39,170 --> 00:00:42,940 and a network of man-made caves make Hawkstone Park 14 00:00:43,050 --> 00:00:45,550 one of the most enchanting places in England. 15 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:50,180 But this vast wonderland 16 00:00:50,290 --> 00:00:53,690 is also home to a small and captivating relic. 17 00:00:53,790 --> 00:00:57,420 It is about three inches high and about two inches wide. 18 00:00:57,530 --> 00:00:59,760 It is made of alabaster. 19 00:00:59,860 --> 00:01:02,960 It is around 2,000 years old. 20 00:01:03,070 --> 00:01:07,000 And it is striped various shades of green. 21 00:01:10,670 --> 00:01:13,540 WILDMAN: As author Graham Phillips knows firsthand, 22 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,210 this alabaster chalice is purported to be 23 00:01:16,310 --> 00:01:19,310 the most sought after object of all time. 24 00:01:19,410 --> 00:01:22,180 This cup may be small, 25 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:23,780 but it possibly held one 26 00:01:23,890 --> 00:01:27,490 of the greatest secrets the world has ever known. 27 00:01:30,990 --> 00:01:33,590 WILDMAN: It's the 1990s in England. 28 00:01:33,700 --> 00:01:36,730 Graham Phillips is a hardworking journalist on a mission 29 00:01:36,830 --> 00:01:40,270 to find one of the most elusive relics in history -- 30 00:01:42,170 --> 00:01:44,070 The Holy Grail. 31 00:01:44,170 --> 00:01:46,310 WILDMAN: Legend has it the Holy Grail 32 00:01:46,410 --> 00:01:49,110 is a gleaming chalice encrusted in jewels 33 00:01:49,210 --> 00:01:52,450 that captured Jesus's blood during the crucifixion. 34 00:01:52,550 --> 00:01:53,880 It's said that the sacred cup 35 00:01:53,980 --> 00:01:57,480 grants all who drink from it eternal life 36 00:01:57,590 --> 00:02:00,090 and that the grail was hidden to keep it safe. 37 00:02:00,190 --> 00:02:04,060 But where it wound up, no one knows. 38 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:05,660 The search for the Holy Grail 39 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,560 has consumed archaeologists, historians, 40 00:02:08,660 --> 00:02:11,130 and treasure hunters for centuries. 41 00:02:11,230 --> 00:02:13,770 PHILLIPS: One of the most fascinating things about 42 00:02:13,870 --> 00:02:17,370 ancient legends is very often, they're based on 43 00:02:17,470 --> 00:02:20,110 some historical fact. 44 00:02:20,210 --> 00:02:23,140 And so I started 45 00:02:23,250 --> 00:02:25,150 my own search for the Holy Grail. 46 00:02:25,250 --> 00:02:28,080 WILDMAN: Phillips has something he thinks will help him 47 00:02:28,180 --> 00:02:30,720 solve the mystery once and for all. 48 00:02:30,820 --> 00:02:32,950 According to early Christian writings, 49 00:02:33,060 --> 00:02:36,720 the grail was not an ornate bejeweled goblet. 50 00:02:36,830 --> 00:02:40,560 Instead, they described a small alabaster ointment jar 51 00:02:40,660 --> 00:02:43,660 that was though to have been placed in Jesus's tomb. 52 00:02:43,770 --> 00:02:46,030 Using this description as his guide, 53 00:02:46,130 --> 00:02:48,740 Phillips researches the ancient historical records 54 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,270 that detail the Roman excavation of Jesus's tomb 55 00:02:52,370 --> 00:02:55,010 in the year 327 AD. 56 00:02:55,110 --> 00:02:56,440 According to the text, 57 00:02:56,550 --> 00:02:58,780 when the Romans unearthed the grave site, 58 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,580 they discovered the exact same type of cup. 59 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,820 The Romans found a small, green, alabaster jar. 60 00:03:10,630 --> 00:03:11,890 WILDMAN: Based on this finding, 61 00:03:11,990 --> 00:03:15,200 Phillips believes that the cup uncovered by the Romans 62 00:03:15,300 --> 00:03:17,560 is in fact the Holy Grail. 63 00:03:20,870 --> 00:03:23,670 Phillips digs deeper into the historical texts. 64 00:03:23,770 --> 00:03:27,340 He discovers that the vessel was brought back to Rome, 65 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,240 and later sent to England for safekeeping. 66 00:03:30,350 --> 00:03:31,780 PHILLIPS: I found a number of people 67 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,080 had actually recorded seeing it in real places. 68 00:03:37,590 --> 00:03:39,920 WILDMAN: The cup was said to have come into the possession 69 00:03:40,020 --> 00:03:44,190 of a 13th century knight named Fulk Fitz Warine. 70 00:03:44,290 --> 00:03:46,360 Warine appears to be the last person known 71 00:03:46,460 --> 00:03:48,960 to have possession of the sacred vessel. 72 00:03:49,060 --> 00:03:51,130 But Phillips wonders if Fitz Warine 73 00:03:51,230 --> 00:03:53,970 might have passed the relic to his heirs. 74 00:03:54,070 --> 00:03:55,840 He traces the knight's descendents 75 00:03:55,940 --> 00:04:00,140 and finds a 19th century English writer named Thomas Wright. 76 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,280 And that's when Phillips discovers something amazing. 77 00:04:04,380 --> 00:04:06,450 Wright has authored a fictional novel 78 00:04:06,550 --> 00:04:09,920 about an English knight searching for the Holy Grail. 79 00:04:10,020 --> 00:04:11,280 At the end of the story, 80 00:04:11,390 --> 00:04:12,590 the knight finds the grail 81 00:04:12,690 --> 00:04:15,590 at none other than Hawkstone Park. 82 00:04:15,690 --> 00:04:17,990 Not only that, but at the front of the book 83 00:04:18,090 --> 00:04:19,290 for no apparent reason 84 00:04:19,390 --> 00:04:22,000 are a series of Roman numerals. 85 00:04:22,100 --> 00:04:23,900 Phillips works out that these numbers 86 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,630 actually relate to certain words 87 00:04:25,730 --> 00:04:27,770 within the Psalms of The Bible. 88 00:04:27,870 --> 00:04:29,540 And when he puts all the words together, 89 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,110 it amounts to directions within the castle 90 00:04:32,210 --> 00:04:34,110 to the Holy Grail. 91 00:04:34,210 --> 00:04:37,940 I was the most excited I've ever been in my life. 92 00:04:38,050 --> 00:04:40,980 WILDMAN: While the castle at Hawkstone Park lies in ruins, 93 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,780 Phillips believes the Grail could still be there. 94 00:04:43,890 --> 00:04:46,690 PHILLIPS: I was convinced that that is where I should be 95 00:04:46,790 --> 00:04:49,290 to start unraveling these clues. 96 00:04:51,490 --> 00:04:53,330 WILDMAN: Phillips travels to the medieval castle 97 00:04:53,430 --> 00:04:57,560 and begins following the clues in Wright's book. 98 00:04:57,670 --> 00:04:59,700 They lead him into a series of caves 99 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,500 beneath the citadel's ancient foundations. 100 00:05:03,610 --> 00:05:07,010 The last clue mentions a statue of an eagle. 101 00:05:07,110 --> 00:05:09,080 PHILLIPS: And I thought, "This is going to be the end of it. 102 00:05:09,180 --> 00:05:10,810 There's no more clues to go." 103 00:05:10,910 --> 00:05:14,650 WILDMAN: Sure enough, Phillips discovers an eagle statue. 104 00:05:14,750 --> 00:05:18,420 But when he studies the figure, his heart sinks. 105 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,820 The base of the sculpture has been broken. 106 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:23,790 PHILLIPS: Inside the concrete base, 107 00:05:23,890 --> 00:05:27,260 there was a small hole, a recess. 108 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,400 WILDMAN: With no clues left, Phillips fears the worst. 109 00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:33,400 PHILLIPS: The chalice had already been found. 110 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:37,070 That left me in complete despair. 111 00:05:38,740 --> 00:05:42,510 WILDMAN: Desperate to find out who might have taken the cup, 112 00:05:42,610 --> 00:05:45,510 Phillips combs through Hawkstone Park records. 113 00:05:45,610 --> 00:05:48,180 He discovers that a man named Walter Langham 114 00:05:48,280 --> 00:05:51,620 purchased the eagle statue in 1920. 115 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:53,420 However, when Langham came to move 116 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,190 the massive piece of stone, 117 00:05:55,290 --> 00:05:57,690 he found it was too heavy to transport 118 00:05:57,790 --> 00:06:00,690 and had broken the base in the process of trying. 119 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,260 The records shows that inside he discovered 120 00:06:03,370 --> 00:06:05,830 a small, green, alabaster cup. 121 00:06:08,170 --> 00:06:11,040 So, where was it now? Had he just thrown it away? 122 00:06:11,140 --> 00:06:13,770 Had he sold it? 123 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,680 WILDMAN: Phillips tracks down Langham's great grand-daughter, 124 00:06:16,780 --> 00:06:18,310 and when he arrives at her house, 125 00:06:18,410 --> 00:06:20,450 the woman allows him to look in her attic 126 00:06:20,550 --> 00:06:22,450 for the elusive vessel. 127 00:06:22,550 --> 00:06:25,290 Finally, they discover a balled-up newspaper 128 00:06:25,390 --> 00:06:27,920 with something inside. 129 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,690 And when they unwrap it, they find... 130 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,160 a small green chalice. 131 00:06:37,270 --> 00:06:38,870 PHILLIPS: It looked very old. 132 00:06:38,970 --> 00:06:41,370 It was made of green stone 133 00:06:41,470 --> 00:06:44,340 that looked and felt like alabaster. 134 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:48,010 This really did match the description of the cup 135 00:06:48,110 --> 00:06:50,040 that held the blood of Christ. 136 00:06:52,710 --> 00:06:54,580 WILDMAN: Phillips has the jar analyzed 137 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,520 by experts at the British Museum. 138 00:06:57,620 --> 00:07:00,590 The results are astounding. 139 00:07:00,690 --> 00:07:04,620 The artifact is more than 2000 years old 140 00:07:04,730 --> 00:07:07,560 and was made in the Middle East. 141 00:07:07,660 --> 00:07:11,600 My heart just kept getting faster and faster and faster. 142 00:07:11,700 --> 00:07:15,070 This is the time, place, and period of Jesus! 143 00:07:15,170 --> 00:07:16,940 WILDMAN: Whether this really is the cup 144 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,570 that held the blood of Christ is impossible to tell. 145 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,440 But Phillips believes it's as close as anyone 146 00:07:23,550 --> 00:07:27,150 is ever likely to get to finding the real Holy Grail. 147 00:07:27,250 --> 00:07:30,280 PHILLIPS: It would pretty coincidental 148 00:07:30,390 --> 00:07:32,090 if it just so happened to have come 149 00:07:32,190 --> 00:07:34,450 from the right place in the right time. 150 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:40,230 So my betting is on the fact that it is the real Holy Grail. 151 00:07:43,570 --> 00:07:46,170 WILDMAN: Today, this remarkable alabaster chalice 152 00:07:46,270 --> 00:07:48,770 is on display at Hawkstone Park, 153 00:07:48,870 --> 00:07:51,270 a reminder of one man's incredible quest 154 00:07:51,370 --> 00:07:52,540 to find the truth 155 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,810 behind the most legendary relic of all time. 156 00:07:59,750 --> 00:08:01,350 Wall Street, 157 00:08:01,450 --> 00:08:03,950 New York City -- 158 00:08:04,050 --> 00:08:07,950 just a few steps away from the New York Stock Exchange 159 00:08:08,060 --> 00:08:10,060 sits an institution that celebrates 160 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,060 the spirit of capitalism. 161 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,900 This is the Mu$eum of American Finance. 162 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,370 Among the obsolete dollar bills, 163 00:08:19,470 --> 00:08:22,200 documents, and rare coins 164 00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:25,170 is something eye-catching 165 00:08:25,270 --> 00:08:27,110 and extraordinary. 166 00:08:27,210 --> 00:08:29,510 CRUM: It's about the size of a standard brick 167 00:08:29,610 --> 00:08:31,610 that you'd find on a home. 168 00:08:31,710 --> 00:08:34,150 This particular brick is a 60-pound brick of gold. 169 00:08:34,250 --> 00:08:36,980 It has a face value stamped on it, it has the purity 170 00:08:37,090 --> 00:08:39,290 of the gold, the ounces of the gold. 171 00:08:39,390 --> 00:08:41,290 WILDMAN: This bar of pure gold 172 00:08:41,390 --> 00:08:44,960 is worth $2.5 million. 173 00:08:45,060 --> 00:08:46,630 But this gleaming brick 174 00:08:46,730 --> 00:08:49,760 didn't start out as a museum piece. 175 00:08:49,860 --> 00:08:51,260 It was part 176 00:08:51,370 --> 00:08:53,430 of one of the biggest treasure hauls ever made. 177 00:08:53,540 --> 00:08:56,740 So how did a huge shipment of gold 178 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,740 end up on the bottom of the ocean? 179 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,410 And how was it recovered 180 00:09:01,510 --> 00:09:05,280 more than a century after it was thought to be lost forever? 181 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,820 September 3, 1857 -- 182 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:12,620 The S.S. Central America 183 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,290 is departing from Panama to complete the final leg 184 00:09:15,390 --> 00:09:17,620 of an invaluable journey. 185 00:09:17,730 --> 00:09:20,160 It's headed to the financial center of New York City 186 00:09:20,260 --> 00:09:23,830 to deliver a fortune in gold dust, coins, and ingots 187 00:09:23,930 --> 00:09:26,370 fresh from the Gold Rush in California. 188 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:30,740 Aboard the S.S. Central America 189 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:32,640 was about $2 million in gold, 190 00:09:32,740 --> 00:09:34,670 value at the time. 191 00:09:34,780 --> 00:09:36,540 WILDMAN: For the 600 people on board, 192 00:09:36,650 --> 00:09:38,240 it's an ordinary trip, 193 00:09:38,350 --> 00:09:41,080 until the vessel rounds the Florida Keys 194 00:09:41,180 --> 00:09:44,320 and sails straight into the path of a hurricane. 195 00:09:44,420 --> 00:09:47,150 In the 20-foot swells, 196 00:09:47,260 --> 00:09:49,620 the ship springs a leak. 197 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:51,660 They had taken on so much water that they knew 198 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,890 the ship was doomed, and it was headed down. 199 00:09:55,460 --> 00:09:59,200 Other ships nearby managed to save 153 people. 200 00:09:59,300 --> 00:10:02,370 But at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, September 12th, 201 00:10:02,470 --> 00:10:05,440 the Central America disappears into the ocean. 202 00:10:09,410 --> 00:10:11,910 Over 400 lives 203 00:10:12,010 --> 00:10:14,450 and 3 tons of California gold 204 00:10:14,550 --> 00:10:17,150 are lost. 205 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:20,550 The gold that went down on the S.S. Central America -- 206 00:10:20,660 --> 00:10:22,560 it's said to have been equal 207 00:10:22,660 --> 00:10:24,890 to one-fifth of all the gold in the coffers of New York. 208 00:10:24,990 --> 00:10:28,260 It was presumably lost forever. 209 00:10:32,100 --> 00:10:34,500 WILDMAN: For the next 120 years, 210 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:36,600 people dream about finding the wreck. 211 00:10:36,710 --> 00:10:38,600 Its location is a mystery, 212 00:10:38,710 --> 00:10:40,610 and the technology to locate the ship 213 00:10:40,710 --> 00:10:42,710 doesn't exist. 214 00:10:42,810 --> 00:10:45,210 But that's not about to stop 215 00:10:45,310 --> 00:10:47,210 a brilliant young scientist 216 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:49,180 named Tommy Thompson. 217 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,120 He was studying engineering, 218 00:10:51,220 --> 00:10:53,120 and deep-water exploration was his passion. 219 00:10:53,220 --> 00:10:55,960 WILDMAN: Thompson convinces a group of investors 220 00:10:56,060 --> 00:10:57,560 to fund his expedition. 221 00:10:57,660 --> 00:10:59,560 And in 1986, 222 00:10:59,660 --> 00:11:02,130 the research vessel the Arctic Discoverer 223 00:11:02,230 --> 00:11:04,760 sets out to explore a stretch of ocean 224 00:11:04,870 --> 00:11:07,200 larger than the state of Rhode Island. 225 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:09,200 They had to search a broad area 226 00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:12,540 to find a needle in a haystack. 227 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,040 WILDMAN: But this expedition is different from any other. 228 00:11:15,140 --> 00:11:18,180 It's armed with a high-tech device 229 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:19,680 that Thompson has invented, 230 00:11:19,780 --> 00:11:22,950 a massive underwater robot called "Nemo." 231 00:11:23,050 --> 00:11:26,290 These guys literally were on a ship 232 00:11:26,390 --> 00:11:28,450 like video games, playing with joysticks, 233 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:31,120 and they're trying to locate anything 234 00:11:31,230 --> 00:11:33,630 that might be, uh, the S.S. Central America . 235 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,870 WILDMAN: On September 11, 1988, 236 00:11:38,970 --> 00:11:40,870 after two years of searching, 237 00:11:40,970 --> 00:11:43,640 the Arctic Discoverer is probing the waters 238 00:11:43,740 --> 00:11:47,240 160 miles off the coast of South Carolina... [ Sonar pings ] 239 00:11:47,340 --> 00:11:50,580 when it gets a blip on its sonar screen. 240 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:53,480 [ Sonar pings ] 241 00:11:53,580 --> 00:11:56,720 Nemo is sent down to explore. 242 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:04,960 [ Cheering and laughter ] 243 00:12:05,060 --> 00:12:08,330 WILDMAN: On the video feeds is a shadowy outline. 244 00:12:08,430 --> 00:12:11,530 What was looking back in the cameras at them 245 00:12:11,630 --> 00:12:15,170 was this massive iron side-wheel. 246 00:12:15,270 --> 00:12:17,500 WILDMAN: It's the side-wheel 247 00:12:17,610 --> 00:12:20,870 of a 19th-century steamship. 248 00:12:20,980 --> 00:12:24,980 Could this be the long-lost S.S. Central America ? 249 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:32,570 It's 1988 off the coast of South Carolina. 250 00:12:32,670 --> 00:12:35,800 For more than a century, treasure hunters have dreamed 251 00:12:35,910 --> 00:12:38,870 of locating the wreck of the S.S. Central America 252 00:12:38,980 --> 00:12:41,910 and its cargo of more than $100 million 253 00:12:42,010 --> 00:12:44,110 worth of pure gold. 254 00:12:44,220 --> 00:12:46,980 Now, a team led by scientist Tommy Thompson 255 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,850 sees a blip on their sonar screen. 256 00:12:49,950 --> 00:12:53,660 So is this the golden opportunity they've been waiting for? 257 00:12:57,260 --> 00:12:59,660 On board the Arctic Discoverer , 258 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:03,470 the video feed beams up an unmistakable image. 259 00:13:03,570 --> 00:13:06,140 Sitting on the ocean floor 260 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,540 is the wreck of a steamship. 261 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:11,870 And among the shattered ruins, 262 00:13:11,980 --> 00:13:14,540 Tommy Thompson and his team of treasure hunters 263 00:13:14,650 --> 00:13:17,380 find what they've been searching for. 264 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,120 Gleaming brilliantly in the glare of the searchlights 265 00:13:23,220 --> 00:13:25,490 are massive piles of gold. 266 00:13:25,590 --> 00:13:28,320 They're literally jumping up and down for joy. 267 00:13:28,430 --> 00:13:31,760 WILDMAN: A 130-year-old mystery is finally solved. 268 00:13:31,860 --> 00:13:34,000 Thompson and his crew have located 269 00:13:34,100 --> 00:13:37,000 the wreck of the S.S. Central America . 270 00:13:41,510 --> 00:13:44,210 And these coins came up in pristine condition. 271 00:13:44,310 --> 00:13:45,840 The gold ingots that came up-- 272 00:13:45,940 --> 00:13:47,980 I mean, they just glowed. 273 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,680 WILDMAN: Although Thompson's group is ultimately forced 274 00:13:50,780 --> 00:13:53,850 to share their find with a group of insurance companies 275 00:13:53,950 --> 00:13:55,680 who demanded reimbursement 276 00:13:55,790 --> 00:13:58,690 for the claims they paid out in 1857, 277 00:13:58,790 --> 00:14:01,820 when the group sells off their gold, 278 00:14:01,930 --> 00:14:05,660 their yield is between $100 million and $150 million. 279 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,330 Though they have invested 280 00:14:07,430 --> 00:14:09,200 about $10 million in the project, 281 00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:12,170 their hard work and determination 282 00:14:12,270 --> 00:14:13,970 has paid off tenfold. 283 00:14:14,070 --> 00:14:17,570 Today, one of the largest recovered gold ingots 284 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:19,240 from the wreck 285 00:14:19,340 --> 00:14:22,210 is on display in downtown Manhattan 286 00:14:22,310 --> 00:14:24,550 at the Mu$eum of American Finance, 287 00:14:24,650 --> 00:14:27,920 a reminder of the tragic loss 288 00:14:28,020 --> 00:14:29,920 of the S.S. Central America 289 00:14:30,020 --> 00:14:32,350 and its incredible rediscovery. 290 00:14:36,790 --> 00:14:38,690 Moab, Utah. 291 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,500 Surrounded by a stunning red rock landscape, 292 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,870 this haven for outdoor enthusiasts 293 00:14:43,970 --> 00:14:47,670 attracts over 1.5 million tourists per year. 294 00:14:47,770 --> 00:14:50,740 But one institution here draws visitors 295 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,040 out of the desert sun and into its quiet galleries-- 296 00:14:54,140 --> 00:14:56,410 the Museum of Moab. 297 00:14:58,780 --> 00:15:00,750 On display are ceramic vessels 298 00:15:00,850 --> 00:15:02,890 from the Fremont Indian tribe, 299 00:15:02,990 --> 00:15:05,720 the massive backbone of a prehistoric sauropod, 300 00:15:05,820 --> 00:15:07,920 and a topographical relief 301 00:15:08,030 --> 00:15:10,830 carved from an ancient slab of balsa wood. 302 00:15:10,930 --> 00:15:14,830 But one pair of obobjects in this museum 303 00:15:14,930 --> 00:15:17,670 boasts a much more recent lineage. 304 00:15:17,770 --> 00:15:20,040 FOSTER: They are 11 inches long, 305 00:15:20,140 --> 00:15:22,500 about 4 inches wide. 306 00:15:22,610 --> 00:15:24,870 They were originally almost all leather, 307 00:15:24,980 --> 00:15:28,210 and both are now partly bronze. 308 00:15:29,380 --> 00:15:31,810 WILDMAN: This weather-beaten footwear belonged to a man 309 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,520 who embarked on an explosive quest. 310 00:15:34,620 --> 00:15:37,950 These boots were witness to an amazing discovery 311 00:15:38,060 --> 00:15:41,790 that really transformed the town here in eastern Utah. 312 00:15:41,890 --> 00:15:44,260 WILDMAN: To whom did these boots belong, 313 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:48,100 and how did his actions trigger an earth-shattering bonanza? 314 00:15:50,770 --> 00:15:53,540 December 1949, Houston, Texas. 315 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,240 Charlie Steen is down on his luck. 316 00:15:56,340 --> 00:15:58,440 A trained geologist, 317 00:15:58,540 --> 00:16:01,340 he's recently lost his job with a local oil company 318 00:16:01,450 --> 00:16:04,450 and is struggling to provide for his young family. 319 00:16:04,550 --> 00:16:06,580 He was married, he was 28. 320 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:10,420 He had three kids and a fourth on the way. 321 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,690 WILDMAN: One day, while flipping through a mining industry magazine, 322 00:16:13,790 --> 00:16:16,360 something catches Steen's eye. 323 00:16:16,460 --> 00:16:18,960 He read an article titled 324 00:16:19,060 --> 00:16:21,200 "Can Uranium Pay?" 325 00:16:21,300 --> 00:16:23,830 [ Explosion booms ] 326 00:16:23,930 --> 00:16:26,400 WILDMAN: Historically, the government has purchased high-quality, 327 00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:29,300 weapons-grade uranium, known as pitchblende, 328 00:16:29,410 --> 00:16:31,870 from sources in Canada and Africa. 329 00:16:31,980 --> 00:16:34,580 But recently, a lower grade of uranium, 330 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,180 called carnotite, or yellow cake, 331 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,180 has been discovered on the Colorado plateau. 332 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,250 Now the government is willing to pay top dollar 333 00:16:43,350 --> 00:16:45,890 to harness this domestic resource. 334 00:16:45,990 --> 00:16:49,120 Desperate to get in on the windfall, 335 00:16:49,230 --> 00:16:52,790 the geologist decides to pull up stakes in Texas 336 00:16:52,900 --> 00:16:55,200 and head for the Rockies. 337 00:16:55,300 --> 00:16:58,970 His mom mortgaged part of her house to loan him the money. 338 00:16:59,070 --> 00:17:02,240 With that, he drove up to Dove Creek, Colorado. 339 00:17:04,310 --> 00:17:06,380 WILDMAN: Steen studies the region's topography 340 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,180 and identifies a location in eastern Utah 341 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,610 that he believes may harbor reserves 342 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,650 of carnotite 200 feet below the surface. 343 00:17:14,750 --> 00:17:18,620 He ended up staking about 12 claims down there. 344 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,760 Now, a lot of people thought he was crazy, 345 00:17:21,860 --> 00:17:24,530 'cause he was going in an area where people had previously 346 00:17:24,630 --> 00:17:27,100 looked on the surface and thought it was barren. 347 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,570 They referred to it as Steen's Folly. 348 00:17:30,670 --> 00:17:33,970 WILDMAN: But Steen is determined to move forward with his plans, 349 00:17:34,070 --> 00:17:36,670 so he borrows a run-down drill assembly 350 00:17:36,770 --> 00:17:39,070 from a local businessman and gets to work. 351 00:17:39,180 --> 00:17:42,480 He hauled the borrowed drill rig in there, 352 00:17:42,580 --> 00:17:44,810 and he started drilling. 353 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,850 WILDMAN: At a depth of 72 feet, 354 00:17:46,950 --> 00:17:49,080 he starts to bring up core samples 355 00:17:49,190 --> 00:17:51,550 of a dark gray rock that looks nothing like 356 00:17:51,660 --> 00:17:54,360 the bright yellow carnotite he is after. 357 00:17:54,460 --> 00:17:57,530 FOSTER: He tossed it aside with the other drill cores and kept going. 358 00:17:57,630 --> 00:18:01,360 WILDMAN: Then, as his drill reaches 197 feet, 359 00:18:01,470 --> 00:18:03,830 disaster strikes. 360 00:18:03,930 --> 00:18:07,100 He hears a loud bang and then a really loud whirring noise, 361 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,440 which was his drill basically spinning free. 362 00:18:10,540 --> 00:18:12,710 This was bad. 363 00:18:12,810 --> 00:18:14,940 WILDMAN: Steen's borrowed drill bit 364 00:18:15,050 --> 00:18:17,280 has broken off deep underground. 365 00:18:17,380 --> 00:18:19,680 He didn't have the equipment to retrieve it. 366 00:18:19,780 --> 00:18:22,320 He didn't have the money to replace anything. 367 00:18:22,420 --> 00:18:24,620 There was nothing he could do. 368 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,660 WILDMAN: So is this the end of the road 369 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,360 for Charlie Steen's dream of uranium riches? 370 00:18:33,060 --> 00:18:35,060 July 27, 1952, 371 00:18:35,170 --> 00:18:37,070 near Moab, Utah. 372 00:18:37,170 --> 00:18:39,470 Geologist, Charlie Steen, 373 00:18:39,570 --> 00:18:42,140 is searching for a deposit of the precious element, 374 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,240 uranium, but when his drill rig 375 00:18:45,340 --> 00:18:47,940 breaks down, his hopes are all but dashed. 376 00:18:48,050 --> 00:18:50,050 Little does he know, 377 00:18:50,150 --> 00:18:52,720 success is already in his grasp. 378 00:18:55,190 --> 00:18:57,850 Filled with despair, Steen packs a few things 379 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,760 and heads into town, hoping to borrow equipment 380 00:19:00,860 --> 00:19:03,260 to retrieve the broken drill bit. 381 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:06,430 But first, he stops at a local gas station for fuel. 382 00:19:06,530 --> 00:19:09,800 FOSTER: The station owner was kind of a part-time prospector, 383 00:19:09,900 --> 00:19:12,770 and he had his Geiger counter with him, like he almost always did, 384 00:19:12,870 --> 00:19:15,640 and he was just checking some samples. 385 00:19:15,740 --> 00:19:19,340 WILDMAN: The man's rock samples barely register on the meter. 386 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,040 Charlie facetiously said, 387 00:19:22,150 --> 00:19:24,250 "Oh, I got better stuff than that." 388 00:19:24,350 --> 00:19:26,450 WILDMAN: Steen presents him 389 00:19:26,550 --> 00:19:29,790 with the seemingly worthless dark gray cores he's unearthed, 390 00:19:29,890 --> 00:19:31,790 and in that moment, 391 00:19:31,890 --> 00:19:33,860 his life changes forever. 392 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,630 The needle got pinned. 393 00:19:36,730 --> 00:19:39,330 It sounded like full static, like a rattlesnake, it was 394 00:19:39,430 --> 00:19:41,800 [ Makes static noise ] right off the scale, 395 00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:44,370 and they were both shocked. 396 00:19:44,470 --> 00:19:46,800 WILDMAN: Steen realizes he's discovered 397 00:19:46,910 --> 00:19:49,770 something far better than low-grade carnotite-- 398 00:19:49,870 --> 00:19:52,580 a domestic weapons-grade uranium 399 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,910 that can compete with the finest international imports. 400 00:19:56,010 --> 00:19:58,450 It was the first pitch blend, 401 00:19:58,550 --> 00:20:00,980 or pure uranium oxide, 402 00:20:01,090 --> 00:20:03,150 found in that area. 403 00:20:03,250 --> 00:20:06,160 It was about the best you could ask for. 404 00:20:06,260 --> 00:20:10,090 WILDMAN: When word spreads of Steen's incredible find, 405 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,700 investors rush to lend him money, 406 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,300 and he soon establishes a full-scale mining operation. 407 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,240 For Charlie Steen and his hard-luck family, 408 00:20:19,340 --> 00:20:21,800 it's an overnight tale of rags 409 00:20:21,910 --> 00:20:23,840 to uranium riches. 410 00:20:23,940 --> 00:20:26,110 FOSTER: The mine ended up producing 411 00:20:26,210 --> 00:20:29,310 something like $120 million worth of ore. 412 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,050 WILDMAN: To commemorate his achievement, 413 00:20:33,150 --> 00:20:35,420 Steen bronzes the boots he was wearing 414 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:37,720 on the fateful day of his discovery, 415 00:20:37,820 --> 00:20:41,490 which are now on display at the Museum of Moab. 416 00:20:41,590 --> 00:20:44,560 And today, these boots stand as a metallic monument 417 00:20:44,660 --> 00:20:46,400 to one man's good fortune, 418 00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:49,370 which put a desert town on the map. 419 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,040 Colorado Springs, Colorado. 420 00:20:56,140 --> 00:20:59,440 In the 1890s, a gold strike in the nearby Rocky Mountains 421 00:20:59,540 --> 00:21:02,280 turned this city into a boom town. 422 00:21:02,380 --> 00:21:06,780 Today, untold riches are a little easier to find... 423 00:21:06,890 --> 00:21:09,320 aboveground, in the Money Museum. 424 00:21:15,230 --> 00:21:19,060 The collection includes 4,000-year-old Roman coins, 425 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,370 gold and silver pieces made in China 426 00:21:22,470 --> 00:21:24,800 during the 6th century B.C., 427 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:28,840 and a rare 1913 United States nickel 428 00:21:28,940 --> 00:21:31,410 worth more than $3 million. 429 00:21:31,510 --> 00:21:34,210 But there's one item on display 430 00:21:34,310 --> 00:21:36,610 that represents the sinister side of money. 431 00:21:38,350 --> 00:21:42,350 WEATHERFORD: It is approximately three inches tall, two inches wide. 432 00:21:42,450 --> 00:21:46,460 The front of the artifact is stamped with the year 1886. 433 00:21:48,190 --> 00:21:51,330 This coin is one of the rarest of its kind in the world. 434 00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:56,800 WILDMAN: This artifact was part of an accidental discovery 435 00:21:56,900 --> 00:21:58,630 that made two lucky people 436 00:21:58,740 --> 00:22:01,000 wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. 437 00:22:01,110 --> 00:22:05,780 This coin proves that buried treasure really is out there. 438 00:22:10,210 --> 00:22:13,180 WILDMAN: It's 1901 in Washington, D.C. 439 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,690 44-year-old George Roberts 440 00:22:15,790 --> 00:22:17,920 is the director general of the government agency 441 00:22:18,020 --> 00:22:20,690 responsible for producing the nation's coins, 442 00:22:20,790 --> 00:22:22,660 the United States Mint. 443 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:24,690 Roberts cared immensely about his job. 444 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:26,760 He considered it very important work. 445 00:22:29,530 --> 00:22:32,070 WILDMAN: Part of Roberts' job is to visit mint branches 446 00:22:32,170 --> 00:22:34,840 across the country to inspect their holdings, 447 00:22:34,940 --> 00:22:37,510 and in July 1901, 448 00:22:37,610 --> 00:22:42,140 he travels to San Francisco to do just that. 449 00:22:42,250 --> 00:22:44,480 But when he tallies the mint's gold deposits, 450 00:22:44,580 --> 00:22:46,580 he makes a troubling discovery. 451 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:51,350 Six bags of gold double-eagle $20 coins are missing. 452 00:22:51,460 --> 00:22:55,390 When totaled, the loss comes to more than $30,000. 453 00:22:55,490 --> 00:22:58,130 That was a huge amount of money in 1901. 454 00:22:58,230 --> 00:23:01,730 That would be the modern equivalent of over $800,000. 455 00:23:04,470 --> 00:23:06,800 WILDMAN: The loss is too big to be explained 456 00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:08,870 by a simple bookkeeping error, 457 00:23:08,970 --> 00:23:11,370 but Roberts sees no sign of a break-in, 458 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:13,640 and none but a select few employees 459 00:23:13,750 --> 00:23:16,450 know the combination to unlock the vault. 460 00:23:16,550 --> 00:23:19,480 So he comes to an unsettling conclusion. 461 00:23:19,580 --> 00:23:21,420 WEATHERFORD: Roberts came up with the theory 462 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,290 that this had been an inside job. 463 00:23:26,090 --> 00:23:28,090 WILDMAN: Roberts looks into the backgrounds 464 00:23:28,190 --> 00:23:29,890 of the branch's employees. 465 00:23:29,990 --> 00:23:34,460 And one person stands out -- the chief clerk, Walter Dimmick. 466 00:23:34,570 --> 00:23:38,800 Dimmick apparently has a checkered past. 467 00:23:38,900 --> 00:23:43,770 What Roberts learned about Dimmick shocked him. 468 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,810 A lot of people were describing him as untrustworthy, 469 00:23:47,910 --> 00:23:51,180 and it even seemed like he had spent some time 470 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,580 in Southern California working as a con artist. 471 00:23:56,220 --> 00:23:58,420 WILDMAN: When authorities searched Dimmick's house, 472 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,460 they find scribbled in a notebook 473 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:02,860 the combination for the Mint's fault. 474 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,530 It's enough evidence to arrest the man. 475 00:24:06,630 --> 00:24:09,970 And in 1903, after a month-long trial, 476 00:24:10,070 --> 00:24:13,140 Walter Dimmick is convicted on charges of embezzlement 477 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,040 and imprisoned. 478 00:24:15,140 --> 00:24:19,010 But one element of the mystery remains unsolved. 479 00:24:19,110 --> 00:24:22,980 There was still one glaring issue -- 480 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,820 nobody had any idea where the coins were. 481 00:24:30,090 --> 00:24:32,120 WILDMAN: And despite an exhaustive search 482 00:24:32,220 --> 00:24:34,660 of the entire San Francisco region, 483 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:36,930 the gold coins are not found. 484 00:24:37,030 --> 00:24:39,060 Roberts was beyond frustrated. 485 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,830 He still didn't have his missing money. 486 00:24:41,930 --> 00:24:44,530 This was hugely embarrassing. 487 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,870 WILDMAN: Six years later, Dimmick is released from prison. 488 00:24:47,970 --> 00:24:50,370 And in 1930, he dies, 489 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:52,910 taking the secret of what happened to the coins 490 00:24:53,010 --> 00:24:55,750 with him to his grave. 491 00:24:55,850 --> 00:24:59,680 After several years, people just assumed it was gone for good. 492 00:24:59,780 --> 00:25:02,450 Many believed this gold would never be found. 493 00:25:02,550 --> 00:25:04,720 WILDMAN: So will the mystery of the missing money 494 00:25:04,820 --> 00:25:06,620 ever be solved? 495 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,660 It's the early 1900s in San Francisco. 496 00:25:15,770 --> 00:25:18,800 Six bags of priceless gold coins 497 00:25:18,900 --> 00:25:21,500 have been stolen from the San Francisco Mint. 498 00:25:21,610 --> 00:25:23,110 In the aftermath, 499 00:25:23,210 --> 00:25:25,810 the authorities finger an employee at the Mint, 500 00:25:25,910 --> 00:25:28,280 a man named Walter Dimmick, for the crime. 501 00:25:28,380 --> 00:25:32,650 But although they had their man, they don't recover the gold. 502 00:25:32,750 --> 00:25:35,820 So will this gilded treasure ever turn up? 503 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,390 2013, Northern California. 504 00:25:41,490 --> 00:25:45,360 A couple is enjoying a hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains 505 00:25:45,460 --> 00:25:47,900 when they notice several large metal cans 506 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,930 sticking out of the ground. 507 00:25:50,030 --> 00:25:52,470 When they open them up, they realize 508 00:25:52,570 --> 00:25:55,170 they've stumbled upon something remarkable -- 509 00:25:55,270 --> 00:25:57,410 a stash of gold coins. 510 00:25:57,510 --> 00:26:00,540 WEATHERFORD: They had an amazing find. 511 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,610 The couple were over the moon about this discovery. 512 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,780 WILDMAN: The couple brings the coins to an antiques expert, 513 00:26:08,890 --> 00:26:11,250 who makes a series of connections linking the coins 514 00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:15,090 to the 1901 heist perpetrated by Walter Dimmick. 515 00:26:15,190 --> 00:26:17,930 The coins found by the couple, 516 00:26:18,030 --> 00:26:19,930 mostly $20 gold pieces, 517 00:26:20,030 --> 00:26:24,000 were all minted in the late 1800s in San Francisco. 518 00:26:24,100 --> 00:26:27,040 Their quantity, more than 1,400, 519 00:26:27,140 --> 00:26:30,070 matches the amount stolen by Walter Dimmick. 520 00:26:30,170 --> 00:26:32,110 But there's a final piece of evidence 521 00:26:32,210 --> 00:26:35,240 that suggests these are the missing coins -- 522 00:26:35,350 --> 00:26:37,280 the cans they were hidden in. 523 00:26:37,380 --> 00:26:39,210 Prior to working at the U.S. Mint, 524 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,180 Walter Dimmick had worked in a cannery, 525 00:26:41,290 --> 00:26:45,650 which could explain why the coins had been buried in cans. 526 00:26:48,930 --> 00:26:51,530 WILDMAN: The evidence seems conclusive. 527 00:26:51,630 --> 00:26:53,960 These are the same coins that were stolen 528 00:26:54,060 --> 00:26:57,170 from the San Francisco Mint in 1901. 529 00:26:57,270 --> 00:27:00,870 So how did they wind up buried on a mountain? 530 00:27:00,970 --> 00:27:03,610 Some believe that Dimmick hid the coins 531 00:27:03,710 --> 00:27:07,110 and had intended to retrieve them after he got out of prison. 532 00:27:07,210 --> 00:27:09,380 But when he was released, 533 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,080 he was too nervous to go back for his stash. 534 00:27:12,180 --> 00:27:14,520 This may have been where he just thought his money 535 00:27:14,620 --> 00:27:15,980 was the safest. 536 00:27:16,090 --> 00:27:19,050 And then when he passed away, the location was just lost. 537 00:27:21,330 --> 00:27:25,060 WILDMAN: As for the couple who found the coins in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 538 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,230 they get the surprise of their lives. 539 00:27:27,330 --> 00:27:30,000 According to California's finders-keepers law, 540 00:27:30,100 --> 00:27:32,230 they get to keep the massive collection 541 00:27:32,340 --> 00:27:34,000 of rare antique coins. 542 00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:37,910 The hoard is estimated to be worth over $10 million. 543 00:27:38,010 --> 00:27:40,210 $10 million makes this 544 00:27:40,310 --> 00:27:42,640 the greatest discovery of buried treasure 545 00:27:42,750 --> 00:27:44,950 in United States history. 546 00:27:47,650 --> 00:27:51,450 WILDMAN: Today, one of the coins unearthed in 2013 547 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:53,990 is on display at the Money Museum 548 00:27:54,090 --> 00:27:56,020 in Colorado Springs. 549 00:27:56,130 --> 00:27:59,560 It's a reminder of a secret treasure trove 550 00:27:59,660 --> 00:28:01,860 that couldn't stay buried forever. 551 00:28:06,940 --> 00:28:10,370 Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains 552 00:28:10,470 --> 00:28:14,640 is the state capital of California -- Sacramento. 553 00:28:16,610 --> 00:28:19,550 Visitors to the city's Historic Downtown District 554 00:28:19,650 --> 00:28:24,820 can step back into the past with carriage rides, 555 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:29,490 rustic storefronts, and vintage riverboats. 556 00:28:29,590 --> 00:28:31,430 And honoring the city's evolution 557 00:28:31,530 --> 00:28:34,860 from frontier town to the seat of government 558 00:28:34,970 --> 00:28:37,570 is the Sacramento History Museum. 559 00:28:39,970 --> 00:28:43,370 Inside are relics from the region's storied past 560 00:28:43,470 --> 00:28:47,240 such as the first mechanical grain reaper, 561 00:28:47,340 --> 00:28:50,680 a tractor used to haul mining equipment, 562 00:28:50,780 --> 00:28:54,350 and a portable power generator from the early 1900s. 563 00:28:56,750 --> 00:28:59,450 But perhaps none of these symbols of progress 564 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,590 would've been possible without the discovery 565 00:29:01,690 --> 00:29:05,630 of one particularly precious resource. 566 00:29:05,730 --> 00:29:07,130 It's small in size. 567 00:29:07,230 --> 00:29:09,870 It can fit into the palm of your hand. 568 00:29:09,970 --> 00:29:11,530 It's approximately a half an ounce. 569 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,300 It's gold in color and it shimmers. 570 00:29:17,010 --> 00:29:19,610 WILDMAN: This gold nugget played a glittering role 571 00:29:19,710 --> 00:29:21,710 in a cautionary tale of discovery, 572 00:29:21,810 --> 00:29:24,510 greed, and mass hysteria. 573 00:29:24,620 --> 00:29:26,550 EYMANN: This artifact changed the course 574 00:29:26,650 --> 00:29:29,150 of history for the United States. 575 00:29:32,090 --> 00:29:35,220 WILDMAN: It's the 1840s in northern California. 576 00:29:35,330 --> 00:29:37,990 Among the brave pioneers to settle the area 577 00:29:38,100 --> 00:29:41,830 is an ambitious entrepreneur named John Sutter. 578 00:29:41,930 --> 00:29:44,030 Sutter has made a small fortune 579 00:29:44,130 --> 00:29:47,100 from farming the virgin lands of this fertile region. 580 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:48,840 EYMANN: He planted vineyards, 581 00:29:48,940 --> 00:29:52,440 he set up things like mills, and he had cattle 582 00:29:52,540 --> 00:29:54,480 and he was doing pretty well. 583 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,150 WILDMAN: But in January of 1848, 584 00:30:00,250 --> 00:30:03,320 something happens that will change this pioneer's life 585 00:30:03,420 --> 00:30:06,820 and the course of the nation's history forever. 586 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:09,420 Sutter receives a visit from one of the hired hands 587 00:30:09,530 --> 00:30:12,960 who works at his saw mill, a man named James Marshall. 588 00:30:13,060 --> 00:30:16,300 Marshall can barely contain his excitement. 589 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,630 Marshall came in and he said, "We have to close the door 590 00:30:18,740 --> 00:30:20,370 and nobody can hear what I'm saying." 591 00:30:20,470 --> 00:30:22,770 And Sutter's thinking, "What is he up to now? 592 00:30:22,870 --> 00:30:24,840 This guy is acting odd." 593 00:30:27,380 --> 00:30:29,980 WILDMAN: Marshall tells his boss that he was hard at work 594 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,120 when he found what he thinks are some shimmering yellow rocks 595 00:30:33,220 --> 00:30:34,950 in the water by the mill. 596 00:30:35,050 --> 00:30:36,920 EYMANN: And he opens up his little bag 597 00:30:37,020 --> 00:30:38,990 to show Sutter what's inside. 598 00:30:41,090 --> 00:30:42,820 WILDMAN: Sutter peers into the bag 599 00:30:42,930 --> 00:30:46,460 and is equally intrigued by the shiny yellow stones. 600 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,170 Together, the men run a simple chemical test on the pebbles. 601 00:30:50,270 --> 00:30:52,370 The results are earth-shattering. 602 00:30:52,470 --> 00:30:53,970 They've struck gold. 603 00:30:54,070 --> 00:30:57,740 Sutter and Marshall both had that a-ha moment of, 604 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,510 "This is real. We really have gold." 605 00:31:02,580 --> 00:31:04,810 WILDMAN: Without delay, the two men head back out 606 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:08,020 to the stream to see if there's more gold to be found, 607 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,120 and sure enough, the riverbed is littered 608 00:31:11,220 --> 00:31:12,820 with tiny yellow nuggets. 609 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:14,920 Sutter is ecstatic. 610 00:31:15,030 --> 00:31:16,660 Sutter was probably like, "Oh, my God. 611 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:18,760 There's got to be tons of it." 612 00:31:21,170 --> 00:31:24,730 WILDMAN: But he is shrewd enough to temper his excitement. 613 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,540 He knows that if word of the discovery gets out, 614 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:30,270 his property will be overrun by treasure seekers. 615 00:31:30,370 --> 00:31:32,840 So he and Marshall strike a deal. 616 00:31:32,940 --> 00:31:34,240 They will partner up, 617 00:31:34,340 --> 00:31:38,310 keep the find to themselves, and share in the spoils. 618 00:31:38,420 --> 00:31:40,580 EYMANN: Marshall and Sutter did not want competition. 619 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:42,280 The secret gets out that there's gold, 620 00:31:42,390 --> 00:31:43,790 other people are going to want it. 621 00:31:43,890 --> 00:31:46,520 This was an opportunity to be the richest man in the country, 622 00:31:46,620 --> 00:31:48,190 and they both knew that. 623 00:31:48,290 --> 00:31:49,890 WILDMAN: So can these two men 624 00:31:49,990 --> 00:31:53,160 keep their golden opportunity a secret? 625 00:31:58,770 --> 00:32:02,000 It's 1848 in northern California. 626 00:32:02,110 --> 00:32:05,010 Rancher John Sutter and his partner James Marshall 627 00:32:05,110 --> 00:32:07,780 have made the discovery of a lifetime -- 628 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:09,610 gold, and lots of it. 629 00:32:09,710 --> 00:32:12,610 The two men stand to make a fortune, 630 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:15,120 but only if they can mine all the gold 631 00:32:15,220 --> 00:32:16,790 before word spreads. 632 00:32:16,890 --> 00:32:21,220 So can they dig out this secret seam? 633 00:32:21,330 --> 00:32:24,030 Sutter and Marshal put a plan together 634 00:32:24,130 --> 00:32:25,930 to turn the sawmill into a massive 635 00:32:26,030 --> 00:32:27,730 gold-panning operation. 636 00:32:27,830 --> 00:32:31,170 Their hope is to get as much of the gold as they can 637 00:32:31,270 --> 00:32:32,830 as quickly as possible. 638 00:32:32,940 --> 00:32:34,240 But what they don't realize 639 00:32:34,340 --> 00:32:37,110 is how little time they actually have. 640 00:32:40,010 --> 00:32:42,410 A few days later, another of Sutter's millworkers 641 00:32:42,510 --> 00:32:44,350 stops in at a local store 642 00:32:44,450 --> 00:32:46,280 and purchases a bottle of brandy. 643 00:32:46,380 --> 00:32:48,380 But rather than paying in dollars, 644 00:32:48,490 --> 00:32:50,890 the worker pays for it with gold. 645 00:32:50,990 --> 00:32:53,960 One of the merchants asked him, "Where did you get it?" 646 00:32:54,060 --> 00:32:55,760 WILDMAN: The worker reveals that he found it 647 00:32:55,860 --> 00:32:58,230 by the stream near Sutter's mill. 648 00:32:58,330 --> 00:32:59,460 EYMANN: And then the secret is out. 649 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:01,560 Gold is there. 650 00:33:04,230 --> 00:33:07,300 WILDMAN: News of the discovery of gold on Sutter's property 651 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,740 makes its way to the local papers. 652 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:13,380 From there, it spreads across the country. 653 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,880 It even reaches President James Polk, 654 00:33:15,980 --> 00:33:19,410 who, in a rousing State of the Union Address, 655 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:21,920 announces that vast amounts of gold 656 00:33:22,020 --> 00:33:23,890 have been found in California. 657 00:33:23,990 --> 00:33:25,990 EYMANN: It was a free-for-all after that. 658 00:33:26,090 --> 00:33:30,330 Everybody from all over the world left to go and get gold. 659 00:33:33,860 --> 00:33:36,600 WILDMAN: By 1849, tens of thousands 660 00:33:36,700 --> 00:33:38,570 of fortune hunters have descended upon 661 00:33:38,670 --> 00:33:41,300 northern California and Sutter's lands, 662 00:33:41,410 --> 00:33:44,770 triggering what later comes to be known as the Gold Rush. 663 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:46,040 As the hordes arrive, 664 00:33:46,140 --> 00:33:48,740 Sutter is powerless to defend his property. 665 00:33:48,850 --> 00:33:50,980 The treasure-seekers steal his crops, 666 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:52,680 lay claim to his land, 667 00:33:52,780 --> 00:33:55,280 and rob him of the gold that lies within it. 668 00:33:55,390 --> 00:33:57,450 They were overrun by all of these miners 669 00:33:57,550 --> 00:33:59,120 that were coming in. 670 00:33:59,220 --> 00:34:01,890 WILDMAN: He can only watch as the area around him 671 00:34:01,990 --> 00:34:04,160 transforms from a remote outpost 672 00:34:04,260 --> 00:34:07,560 into a thriving and bustling territory. 673 00:34:07,660 --> 00:34:10,000 EYMANN: California went from a minuscule population 674 00:34:10,100 --> 00:34:13,270 to a booming population within two years. 675 00:34:13,370 --> 00:34:16,270 WILDMAN: Although Sutter failed to strike it rich himself, 676 00:34:16,370 --> 00:34:18,610 the plot of land which he owned 677 00:34:18,710 --> 00:34:21,140 eventually becomes the state capital, 678 00:34:21,240 --> 00:34:23,480 Sacramento. 679 00:34:25,980 --> 00:34:27,680 And today, this gold nugget, 680 00:34:27,780 --> 00:34:29,920 found in the stream near Sutter's sawmill, 681 00:34:30,020 --> 00:34:32,850 is on display at the Sacramento History Museum. 682 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:35,990 It recalls the two failed fortune hunters 683 00:34:36,090 --> 00:34:38,630 who set off a massive treasure hunt 684 00:34:38,730 --> 00:34:42,360 that changed California and the nation forever. 685 00:34:44,730 --> 00:34:46,970 Dublin, the capital of Ireland, 686 00:34:47,070 --> 00:34:49,640 was founded in the 9th century by Vikings, 687 00:34:49,740 --> 00:34:53,640 who ruled over the city for nearly 300 years. 688 00:34:53,740 --> 00:34:56,680 Today, relics from the country's storied heritage 689 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,550 Its collection includes a carved head from the Iron Age, 690 00:35:01,650 --> 00:35:04,150 a cross from the Middle Ages, 691 00:35:04,250 --> 00:35:07,520 and an assortment of Nordic weapons. 692 00:35:07,620 --> 00:35:10,260 But even among these ancient treasures, 693 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,460 one shimmering artifact stands out. 694 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,060 HALPIN: It is incredibly detailed. 695 00:35:16,170 --> 00:35:18,630 It is just under eight inches in length, 696 00:35:18,740 --> 00:35:22,940 about three inches wide, and it's made from solid gold. 697 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,440 WILDMAN: This object's small size belies 698 00:35:25,540 --> 00:35:28,040 its monumental significance and the epic fight 699 00:35:28,140 --> 00:35:30,040 that erupted when it was found. 700 00:35:30,150 --> 00:35:33,720 This is one of the most important archeological discoveries 701 00:35:33,820 --> 00:35:36,080 in the history of Ireland. 702 00:35:36,190 --> 00:35:38,150 WILDMAN: What role did this boat play 703 00:35:38,260 --> 00:35:41,820 in a bitter dispute between two traditional rivals? 704 00:35:44,690 --> 00:35:46,860 1896, Broighter, 705 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:48,860 County Derry, Ireland. 706 00:35:48,970 --> 00:35:50,930 Two farmhands are tilling a field 707 00:35:51,030 --> 00:35:53,430 when they hit something hard in the dirt. 708 00:35:53,540 --> 00:35:56,570 HALPIN: The two men had a good look, 709 00:35:56,670 --> 00:36:01,110 and eventually, they found several discolored metal objects. 710 00:36:01,210 --> 00:36:04,850 They probably didn't look terribly impressive. 711 00:36:04,950 --> 00:36:07,420 WILDMAN: The men bring the items to their employer. 712 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:09,550 And the farmer, 713 00:36:09,650 --> 00:36:12,150 suspecting they might be more than just junk, 714 00:36:12,260 --> 00:36:15,990 sells them to an antiquities dealer named Robert Day, 715 00:36:16,090 --> 00:36:18,160 and when Day has the objects restored, 716 00:36:18,260 --> 00:36:21,700 they reveal a shimmering array of treasures. 717 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:25,400 HALPIN: There is a wonderful gold collar, 718 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:27,600 two other necklaces, 719 00:36:27,700 --> 00:36:29,970 and then a miniature cauldron. 720 00:36:30,070 --> 00:36:32,640 WILDMAN: But perhaps the most striking object 721 00:36:32,740 --> 00:36:34,640 is a gold boat. 722 00:36:34,740 --> 00:36:37,580 HALPIN: It is complete in every detail, including the mast for sailing 723 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:40,280 and the oars for rowing. 724 00:36:40,380 --> 00:36:43,520 WILDMAN: In 1897, an archeological journal 725 00:36:43,620 --> 00:36:45,720 publishes a story about the find, 726 00:36:45,820 --> 00:36:47,860 now called the Broighter Hoard. 727 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,390 The paper says the artifacts are Celtic in origin 728 00:36:51,490 --> 00:36:53,900 and date from the 1st century BC. 729 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,570 It was at this point that the discovery of the hoard 730 00:36:57,670 --> 00:36:59,570 becomes public knowledge, 731 00:36:59,670 --> 00:37:01,940 and that's when things start getting really exciting. 732 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:05,370 WILDMAN: The Broighter Hoard soon finds a new home, 733 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:09,010 not in Ireland, but at the British Museum. 734 00:37:09,110 --> 00:37:13,010 HALPIN: Robert Day sold the hoard to the British Museum in London 735 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,880 for the sum of 600 pounds, 736 00:37:15,990 --> 00:37:18,490 which is a lot of money in 1897. 737 00:37:18,590 --> 00:37:22,420 WILDMAN: The revelation outrages the people of Ireland, 738 00:37:22,530 --> 00:37:25,130 who, after nearly a century of British rule, 739 00:37:25,230 --> 00:37:27,460 are beginning to reassert their homeland's 740 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,300 distinct political and cultural identity. 741 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:32,630 Nationalist feeling in Ireland is growing, 742 00:37:32,740 --> 00:37:36,470 and they saw this as, "This hoard is ours, 743 00:37:36,570 --> 00:37:39,510 "and these English people have no right to it. 744 00:37:39,610 --> 00:37:41,740 It belongs in Ireland." 745 00:37:41,850 --> 00:37:44,410 WILDMAN: The scandal prompts 746 00:37:44,510 --> 00:37:47,950 Ireland's premier scientific and cultural institution, 747 00:37:48,050 --> 00:37:50,620 the Royal Irish Academy, to intervene. 748 00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:53,660 HALPIN: The Royal Irish Academy approached the British Museum 749 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:55,660 and asked them to hand them over. 750 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:59,360 WILDMAN: But officials with the British Museum refuse. 751 00:37:59,460 --> 00:38:02,860 And in 1903, 752 00:38:02,970 --> 00:38:05,330 after years of public squabbling, 753 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:07,740 both sides get a chance to present their case 754 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:09,740 in London's High Court. 755 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:13,740 The fate of the Broighter Hoard rests on an obscure theory. 756 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:16,580 HALPIN: The case came down to a battle over 757 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:20,550 the interpretation of this archaic notion 758 00:38:20,650 --> 00:38:22,680 of treasure trove. 759 00:38:22,790 --> 00:38:25,050 WILDMAN: If the hoard was hidden with the intent 760 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,920 of it being dug up one day, it's considered buried treasure 761 00:38:29,030 --> 00:38:32,030 that rightfully belongs to Ireland. 762 00:38:32,130 --> 00:38:36,030 If it was lost or discarded and never intended to be found, 763 00:38:36,130 --> 00:38:39,570 it belongs to whomever discovered the item's true provenance, 764 00:38:39,670 --> 00:38:43,170 and that would keep the hoard in London. 765 00:38:43,270 --> 00:38:45,310 HALPIN: They argued that the site 766 00:38:45,410 --> 00:38:47,610 at Broighter 2,000 years ago 767 00:38:47,710 --> 00:38:51,150 was probably underwater, and that the hoard 768 00:38:51,250 --> 00:38:54,620 was dropped into the water as an offering 769 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:56,620 to a god. 770 00:38:56,720 --> 00:38:58,750 WILDMAN: According to the British Museum, 771 00:38:58,860 --> 00:39:02,090 the ceremonial items were never meant to be seen again, 772 00:39:02,190 --> 00:39:04,590 other than by a Celtic deity, and as such, 773 00:39:04,690 --> 00:39:07,600 the discovery and eventual transfer of the hoard 774 00:39:07,700 --> 00:39:09,960 to the British Museum does not qualify 775 00:39:10,070 --> 00:39:11,970 as treasure trove. 776 00:39:12,070 --> 00:39:14,970 HALPIN: The argument that the British Museum put forward 777 00:39:15,070 --> 00:39:18,570 is that their purchase of the hoard was legally valid 778 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:20,610 and could not be contested. 779 00:39:20,710 --> 00:39:24,350 WILDMAN: So how will Ireland reclaim these historic items? 780 00:39:28,250 --> 00:39:30,420 It's 1903, London, England. 781 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,620 When a set of ancient gold artifacts 782 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:35,060 originally found in Ireland winds up 783 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:37,160 at the British Museum, it sets off 784 00:39:37,260 --> 00:39:39,560 a ferocious legal battle, between the British 785 00:39:39,660 --> 00:39:41,600 and the Irish, with each side staking 786 00:39:41,700 --> 00:39:43,830 their claim to this piece of history. 787 00:39:43,930 --> 00:39:45,730 So what will it take to return these relics 788 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:48,140 to their rightful owners? 789 00:39:48,240 --> 00:39:50,410 To counter the British Museum's argument, 790 00:39:50,510 --> 00:39:54,080 barristers call on a scientist named Robert Lloyd Praeger. 791 00:39:54,180 --> 00:39:56,910 Praeger was a man of many talents. 792 00:39:57,010 --> 00:40:00,680 He was a geologist, he was a naturalist-- he was also an antiquarian. 793 00:40:00,790 --> 00:40:03,320 WILDMAN: Praeger explains 794 00:40:03,420 --> 00:40:06,520 that to prepare for the case, he went to the field in Broighter 795 00:40:06,620 --> 00:40:09,560 and inspected the area himself, and there, 796 00:40:09,660 --> 00:40:13,130 very close to the location where the hoard was discovered, 797 00:40:13,230 --> 00:40:16,600 he unearthed a perfectly preserved Neolithic site. 798 00:40:16,700 --> 00:40:19,670 Considered the last era of the Stone Age, 799 00:40:19,770 --> 00:40:23,240 the Neolithic period ended between 4,500 800 00:40:23,340 --> 00:40:26,240 and 2,000 BC, thousands of years 801 00:40:26,340 --> 00:40:29,310 before the items in the Broighter Hoard would have been crafted. 802 00:40:29,410 --> 00:40:32,310 Praeger argues that the site he examined 803 00:40:32,420 --> 00:40:34,320 was so well preserved that 804 00:40:34,420 --> 00:40:36,490 it could not have been spoiled by the sea, 805 00:40:36,590 --> 00:40:39,090 a fact that seems to undermine 806 00:40:39,190 --> 00:40:41,360 the British Museum's case. 807 00:40:41,460 --> 00:40:44,630 HALPIN: The idea of the hoard being deposited as an offering 808 00:40:44,730 --> 00:40:46,660 to a sea god 809 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:49,130 suddenly began to look very flimsy. 810 00:40:49,230 --> 00:40:52,170 WILDMAN: Finally, as both sides rest, 811 00:40:52,270 --> 00:40:54,300 the judge issues his ruling. 812 00:40:54,410 --> 00:40:57,140 HALPIN: Ultimately, he ruled that the hoard 813 00:40:57,240 --> 00:40:58,810 should return to Ireland. 814 00:40:58,910 --> 00:41:01,680 He dismissed the British Museum's argument. 815 00:41:01,780 --> 00:41:05,410 He wasn't even convinced that there was any evidence for a Celtic sea god. 816 00:41:07,950 --> 00:41:11,290 WILDMAN: For the Irish people, the victory is especially sweet. 817 00:41:11,390 --> 00:41:14,390 HALPIN: Ireland has had many battles with England over the centuries, 818 00:41:14,490 --> 00:41:16,730 and we haven't won many of them, 819 00:41:16,830 --> 00:41:19,030 but this was one that we won. 820 00:41:19,130 --> 00:41:22,800 WILDMAN: Eventually, the Broighter Hoard is given a place of honor 821 00:41:22,900 --> 00:41:24,800 in the National Museum of Ireland. 822 00:41:24,900 --> 00:41:28,070 I think we can safely say that the Broighter Hoard 823 00:41:28,170 --> 00:41:30,710 will be remaining in Dublin. 824 00:41:30,810 --> 00:41:32,740 WILDMAN: Today, this gold boat, 825 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:35,810 once part of an infamous archeological find, 826 00:41:35,910 --> 00:41:39,480 is a glimmering reminder of the fierce battle for sovereignty, 827 00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:42,850 and a proud nation's rich history. 828 00:41:42,950 --> 00:41:45,320 From the search for the Holy Grail 829 00:41:45,420 --> 00:41:48,120 to the California Gold Rush. 830 00:41:48,230 --> 00:41:50,490 A hoard of Irish treasure 831 00:41:50,590 --> 00:41:53,330 to a radioactive bonanza. 832 00:41:53,430 --> 00:41:56,530 I'm Don Wildman, and these are the mysteries at the museum.