Jon Collins-Black, a musician and entrepreneur from California, has turned his childhood dream of treasure hunting into a real-life adventure.
Instead of finding treasure, Collins decided to hide five chests filled with items valued at over $2 million across the United States, according to Digi24.
These treasures are waiting to be discovered by anyone clever enough to decode the clues found in his book, There's Treasure Inside.
Curated Items Over 5 Years
Collins spent five years curating the items, writing the book, and planning the treasure hunt.
The chests contain an eclectic mix of valuables, including a Casascius bitcoin (the first physical bitcoin ever made), rare Pokémon cards, artifacts from a shipwreck, a glass vessel used by George Washington, gold, and more.
Based on auction values and purchases from antique dealers, Collins estimates the treasure is worth between $2 and $3 million.
The treasures are hidden in public areas across the U.S., ensuring no one needs to trespass on private property or attempt dangerous stunts to retrieve them.
To access the treasures, treasure hunters will need to solve puzzles, as each chest is locked with intricate mechanisms.
Instructions on how to unlock them are buried alongside the chests to prevent damage to the containers.
Collins, who funded the project with earnings from early investments in bitcoin, says he deliberately limited the treasure’s value to avoid overwhelming participants.
“If bitcoin hits $500,000 or $1 million, or if these treasures are worth $10 million in a few years, I’ll just be thrilled for whoever finds them,” he said.
Collins drew inspiration from past treasure hunts, including Forrest Fenn’s famous chest, which he sought but didn’t find.
While Collins has gone to great lengths to keep the locations secret, he plans to release additional clues in eight to ten years if the treasures remain undiscovered. “I don’t want this to go on forever,” he said.
