The Ancient Coins (Lore) — Sea of Thieves Walkthrough

Explore the diverse types of treasure in Sea of Thieves, from chests and artifacts to trade goods. Learn how to find, transport, and sell them to Trading Companies for gold and reputation.

Treasures are transportable items that can be found, carried, and sold to Trading Companies in exchange for Currencies, Reputation, and Emissary Value. They are the primary source of Gold, Doubloons, Reputation, and Emissary Value in Sea of Thieves.

Each Trading Company values specific types of Treasure Items and has Representatives at every Outpost. These Representatives accept relevant Treasures for Gold/Doubloons, Reputation, and Emissary Value. Outpost Representatives also offer Voyages, which lead Crews on Quests to find these Treasure items.

Random Treasure can be found all over The Sea of Thieves, whether hidden or beached on Islands, floating amongst Barrels of Plenty or Shipwrecks, locked behind Vaults in Forts, or taken by enemies like Skeleton Ships, Megalodons, or the Kraken. Every Treasure Item has a colored glint or glow to help players spot them from afar.

Treasure items must be carried by hand to their respective Company Representative for a payout. A pirate can only hold one Treasure Item at a time and cannot fight or use equipment while carrying it. The Treasure must be dropped to regain full control. Most Treasure items can be retrieved with a Harpoon. Smaller items can be hidden inside Container Chests, which can hold up to 3 items, making transportation easier. Treasure left on land remains until interacted with, but treasure dropped in water sinks after about 5 minutes (except for Trade Good Crates). Sailing as Trading Company Emissaries grants Emissary Grade Reputation when picking up relevant Treasure items, with additional Reputation if placed on the ship. These increases are given only on the first claim.

Treasure items are categorized by the Trading Company that purchases them. Within the Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls, and Merchant Alliance, Treasure Items are further categorized into Regular, Ashen, Stronghold, Skeletal, and Ghostly variants depending on their source.

Gold Hoarders Treasure includes Treasure Chests and Artefacts. Treasure Chests are unbreakable and locked, sold to the Gold Hoarders for a portion of their contents. They can be found via Treasure Maps, Riddle Maps, Ancient Vaults, or randomly across the seas, emitting a White Glint. Types include Regular, Shipwrecked, Coral, Ashen, Valuable, and Cursed Treasure Chests. Artefacts are smaller items found on their own, in Treasure Chests, or Fortress Vaults, emitting a Golden Glint. There are four types of Artefacts: Regular, Ashen, Stronghold, and Ghostly.