Recently, some lucky divers came across hundreds of gold and silver coins at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

The location is about 50 miles off the coast of North Carolina and is believed to have been the site of the shipwreck of the Steamship Pulaski.

Gold and silver coins from the 19th century

All of the coins found were dated around 1800 CE, making them some of the oldest U.S. coins from a shipwreck.

Exactly 502 coins were found, but it’s believed that there are around 100,000 gold coins still down there to be discovered, as well as jewelry and other treasures.

History of the Steamship Pulaski

Some wonder why there was so much money on this particular ship.

Named the Steamship Pulaski, this particular vessel was carrying some very powerful and wealthy people.

Back then, it was customary for wealthy individuals to travel with their fortunes.

What caused the ship to sink?

An explosion from the boilers brought the ship down in 1838.

Of the approximately 185 people on board, nearly half of them were killed.

How much are the coins worth?

The coins have been sold to a coin dealer and, well, mums the word on how much they sold for.

It was said, however, that the price “wildly exceeded” what they were expecting.

In general, United States coins from that time period have a sales price range of $40,000 to $150,000 each.

That high price tag is because that’s when the U.S. had just started minting coins.

Did you know: While buried treasure is sometimes the stuff of fairy tales, this isn’t the first ship wreck to contain lost treasure troves.