Most Valuable Historical Artifacts in History

Created: 4 billion years ago
Discovered: 1969
Est. Value: $300,000 per gram*

When Neil Armstrong and co finally made it to the moon in the ‘60s, it caused a huge sensation. It was one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – but the crew didn’t leave without collecting a souvenir or two. Moon rocks have become so sought after that several interns stole a safe full of them from the Johnson Space Center in the early ‘00s. 

Moon Rocks @clubfavor/Pinterest.com

As a result, NASA had to put a financial value on them for court proceedings, claiming each gram was worth over $300,000. While no one has actual rights to the moon, the United States government consider the samples to be national treasures that shouldn’t be sold on eBay.

The reason moon rocks are so expensive, in addition to the government not wanting people to just get their hands on such precious material, is that they’re in scarce quantities. The Apollo mission brought back a little under 992.08 pounds of them. The rarity, in addition to the tight restrictions, has boosted the price to millions.

Created: 200-850AD
Discovered: 2001
Est. Value: Priceless

The Moche of northern Peru remains a fascinating culture for scholars and history buffs alike. Lost civilizations are often a source of wonder as what we know about them is limited. We do know that they treasured art and murals like many other people. 

©Diego Grandi/Shutterstock

The Mural of the Decapitator, a Moche god, was found in one of the temples. Unlike some other examples of the thousand-year-old art, this was remarkably intact. What’s more worrying is that the Decapitator was often honored with human sacrifice, which isn’t exactly a Disney movie.

Ai Apaec, as the Decapitator was known, was the Moche peoples’ main divinity. It was the most feared and most venerated of their gods, baring a terrifying face and fangs. The Mochica considered him their protector, creator, and provider, giving them food and water, as well as victory in war.

Created: 18th Century 
Discovered: 2010
Est. Value: $83 million*

Discovering a prized piece of antique pottery in the attic is a dream to most, but for one family in West London, it became a reality in 2010. After the death of a relative, the family discovered this Qing Dynasty vase in the attic of a typical three-bedroom house. To the untrained eye, it’s simply a vase. 

Pinner Qing Dynasty Vase @Josie Paman / Pinterest.com

To a professional, it’s an $83 million goldmine. The Chinese market went mad for the 18th-century piece. When the item eventually went to auction, it fetched over $60 million. That’s not the kind of thing you can buy from a crafter on Etsy. 

The elegant Chinese vase has gold banding and fish and flower motifs throughout. The beautiful vase was made for Qianlong in the mid-to-late 1700s. The imperial yellow and sky-blue vase depicts leaping goldfish. Goldfish are considered symbols of good luck in the home. Though not as precious as the Arowana, goldfish still add prosperity.

Created: 196 BC
Discovered: 1799
Est. Value: Priceless

Some things are so old that it’s a miracle they’re still around. The Rosetta Stone is one of them. Created in 196 BC, the huge rock of granodiorite is inscribed with a decree about the King, Ptolemy V, and how he was supported by the priests. Many historians say it’s the key to reading hieroglyphics. 

Rosetta Stone ©Hans Hillewaert / Wikimedia.org

The interesting and important artifact has been at the British Museum since 1801, after a British officer took it from Rosetta, Egypt in 1799. Despite attempts by Egypt to bring it back to its rightful home, the stone has remained in the same place for over 200 years.

The Rosetta Stone was originally displayed at a temple, perhaps in Sais. IT was moved during the end of the Mameluk period, and it was used to construct Fort Julien near the Nile Delta. According to The History Channel, it was there that the Stone was discovered by a French officer during a military campaign for Emperor Napoleon.

Created: 1735
Discovered: 1735
Est. Value: $1.36 million*

We’ve all had the odd party where things have gotten a tiny bit out of hand, but can you imagine what would happen if you had a wine cooler this big? This incredibly large silver cistern was commissioned back in 1735 for London-based banker Henry Jernegan. 

Silver Cistern @GoAntiques / Pinterest.com

It took a huge four years to make, so it’s not something you could easily pick up in Costco. The cistern eventually made its way to Russia when it was offered up as a lottery prize and then sold to Regent Anna Leopoldovna in 1738. 

The seller in question was Major William Battine. Jernegan wanted to possess the largest wine cooler in the world. He hired Charles Frederick Kandler, a silversmith, to complete his vision. When Kandler finished the gigantic silver cistern, it weighed more than 500 pounds. At the time, silver was a common lottery prize, so it was inevitable that it would end up in a lotto winner like Battine’s hands.

Created: 19th Century
Discovered: N/A
Est. Value: $9.6 million*

When John James Audubon first created The Birds of America in the 19th century, he probably had no idea it would go on to become so valuable. The huge book is full to the brim with 400 hand-colored illustrations of the best birds Uncle Sam has to offer. 

Birds of America Book @Education / Pinterest.com

This isn’t the kind of book you can pick up on Amazon, but a rare beauty. The work fetched $9.6 million at auction and was formerly the property of businessman Carl W. Knobloch who passed away in 2016. All proceeds went towards helping nature through charities. 

It is not just the book’s beauty that makes it so expensive; it is the scientific value of the book. Though it was published in the 1800s, it still contained observations that had never been made before. John James Audubon’s Birds of America has been called a “portal into the natural world.” He is the person after whom the National Audubon Society is named.

Created: 1917-1919
Discovered: 2009
Est. Value: $25 million*

It’s no secret that rich people like to splash the cash on the finer things in life, but can you ever imagine being in a position to buy a $25-million-dollar chair? The “Dragons” armchair was designed by the Irish architect Eileen Gray in the early 20th century.

The Dragon Armchair @MadeByMobius / Twitter.com

The leather and wood seat isn’t even that big, but Eileen Gray’s name made it ludicrously valuable. The unusual style of it means that it’s a prized piece for collectors. Yves Saint Laurent bought it in 1973 and it was eventually sold in 2009 for $25 million. You might be able to pick up a chair at Bed, Bath & Beyond, but would it look like this? 

The wooden, upholstered armchair features two stylized, lacquered dragons that Christie’s of New York calls “personal and magical.” The clouds and dragon imagery were compared to those often found in traditional Chinese iconography and art. Gray let the lacquer set right in her humid bathroom before she spent days polishing her famous chair.

Created: 1st Century BC-1st Century AD
Discovered: 1920s
Est. Value: $28.6 million*

It’s not often that a work of art as pristine as Artemis and the Stag is discovered. The centuries-old sculpture was found at a construction site in Rome in the 1920s, before being sold several times and eventually landing up at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in New York. 

Artemis and the Stag @Sarah Gonzalez / Pinterest.com

In 2007, Sotheby’s put the piece up at auction with an estimated price tag of between $5 and $7 million. Incredibly, they massively underestimated just how much collectors would be willing to pay. An anonymous bidder shelled out over $28 million to take it home.

So, who was this goddess that commanded millions of dollars? Artemis was the Greek goddess of wild animals and hunting. In the sculpture, her pose suggested that she had just loosed an arrow from her famous bow. There was a bow associated with the sculpture at one time, but it was lost. No doubt the bow would command millions as well.

Created: 1954
Discovered: N/A
Est. Value: $2.9 million*

Albert Einstein had such a huge impact on the world at large that it’s sometimes hard to remember he was a man and not a deity. Several of Einstein’s private letters have fetched incredible sums over the years, including one dubbed “The God Letter.” 

The God Letter by Albert Einstein © Comet Photo AG (Zürich) / Wikimedia Commons

It’s not clear what Einstein’s views on religion truly were, and perhaps that was the point of “The God Letter.” At one point, in an interview, Einstein said that he believed in a god—only it was the Baruch Spinoza’s pantheistic deity. At some points he called himself an agnostic; at other points, he said he was a humanist.

Einstein talks about his own struggles with religion in the 1954 handwritten note he sent to his German contemporary, Eric Gutkind. When it went up for auction in 2018, auctioneers thought it may make around $1 million. It made an eye-watering $2.9 million, according to CBS News. 

Created: 644-525 BC
Discovered: 19th Century
Est. Value: $5.9 million*

Ancient Egyptians worshipped statues of gods and goddesses as if they were the gods themselves, which is what makes this Greywacke statue so fascinating. It was placed in a public spot in Alexandria, where people would then pray to it and ask for healing. 

Greywacke Statue Tribute to Isis @C5COI / Facebook.com

The sculpture hit the headlines in 2012 when it broke auction records. It sold for $5.9 million, knocking a previous Limestone tomb sculpture of an Egyptian Prince off the top spot. It isn’t a mere trinket, but an incredible example of Late Period Dynasty art. 

The subject of the depiction, Isis, was the ancient Egyptian goddess, the worship of whom spread throughout the Roman and Greek worlds. She was first mentioned in 2686 B.C.E., and her legend credited her as one of the people who resurrected her husband, the slain, divine king named Osiris. Isis is believed to guide the dead during the afterlife.

Created: 408 BCE to 318 CE
Discovered: 1946
Est. Value: $3 million*

When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered back in 1946, it was a monumental find. The ancient Jewish religious papers are considered incredibly important, which is probably why even the most minute parts of them are beyond valuable.

The Dead Sea Scrolls ©Ken and Nyetta, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Five fragments of them were purchased by Asuza Pacific University for over $2.4 million in 2009, while other parts have been sold for upward of $125,000. Numerous outlets have discussed the scrolls over the years, including Discovery.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are just some of the thousands of written fragments that have been discovered in that region. The majority of these fragments have either been destroyed through human interference or by natural disasters, so the ones that are well-preserved ten to sell for millions at auction because of their rarity.

Created: 1790
Discovered: N/A
Est. Value: $2 million*

There is an incredible market out there for clocks, especially when they’re as intricately made as this 1790 George III ormolu musical piece. Not only is it exquisitely carved, but it’s also over 240 years old. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but someone took a huge liking to it in 2018. 

George III Ormolu musical automaton table clock @Balázs Mayer / Pinterest.com

The clock was purchased at a Sotheby’s auction, doubling the original estimate. The winning bidder took home the prize, but it cost them over $2 million. Considering it was originally up for around $400,000 that’s as impressive as it gets. 

Designed by London’s Thomas Hunter, the clock is an ebonized eight-day striking musical clock. It joins many other, similar Hunter creations. The clock is signed, “THOMAS HUNTER LONDON.” Other engravings include Prince-of-Wales feathers, “No.54,” and “Goswell Street” engraved on the stepped feet. These engravings were likely a big part of the authentication process.

Created: 515 BC
Discovered: 1971
Est. Value: $1.2 million*

Ancient Greek pottery is just as popular as ancient Egyptian pottery when given half the chance. The Euphronios Krater is a terra cotta bowl that was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1972 from an art dealer. 

Euphronios Krater @peterbcampbell / Twitter.com

Although the exact origins of the bowl are unknown, it’s thought that someone illegally excavated it in 1971, before selling it on. The museum paid a hefty price for the piece back then, handing over $1.2 million to get it on board. These days, it can be viewed at the Archaeological Museum of Cerveteri in Italy.

Also called the Sarpedon Krater, this bowl was used to mix wine with water. It is considered one of the finest Greek vases in existence today. The Euphronios Krater is one of twenty-seven surviving vases that were painted by the famous artist. To this day, Euphronios remains one of the important pioneers of the red-finger technique.

Created: 2600-2400 BC
Discovered: 1928
Est. Value: Priceless

Leonard Woolley discovered two ram statues at one of the graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur in 1928. Made from copper, gold, and wood, the figure “Ram in a Thicket” was in a poor state when it was found after laying underneath tons of soil for centuries. 

Golden Ram Figurine at Ur ©geni / Wikimedia.org

After careful restoration, it’s now on display at the British Museum in London. Its base is a work of art in itself, consisting of lapis lazuli, limestone, and shells. It’s a wonderful work that is near impossible to value because of its unique history. 

The figure is named “Ram in a Thicket” as a Biblical reference. The passage in Genesis 22:13 features God ordering Abraham to sacrifice his son. At the last minute, an angel comes and tells Abraham he can sacrifice a ram instead. The “Ram in a Thicket” is named after that burnt offering.