Treasure of Cortés

The Treasure of Cortés, also referred to as the treasure of the Isla de Muerta, was a cursed treasure, consisting of 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold in a stone chest. It was known to be buried at the Isla de Muerta, an island of the dead located in the Caribbean.

According to legends, the Aztecs delivered the chest to conquistador Hernán Cortés as blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon with his armies. But because the gold fueled Cortés' greed, the Heathen Gods placed a curse over the gold: any mortal that removes a piece from the chest shall be damned. The curse could be broken only if the plundered treasure was restored in total and a blood debt repaid. Only Hector Barbossa's crew of the Black Pearl were able to successfully find the treasure, though they would later regret it.