Have you ever heard the folklore out of Oneida Lake here in New York about a small chest of antique buttons worth millions of dollars? Rumor has it, it was lost at sea in the 1700s.

Treasure hunters have been searching since the 1700s for a priceless collection of rare antique buttons. According to Treasure Net, even if someone found just one of these buttons, it could sell for a price in the six figures on the open collectors' market.

How many are said to be in Oneida Lake? According to rumors, there are fifteen hundred of them in the lake. That number seems extremely high, but considering buttons were super thin like coins, it's not hard to believe. If you were to do the math on market value, that's around $150,000,000.

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Who owned these buttons, and how in the world did they get into Oneida Lake?

The man who possessed this rare and extensive collection of valuable buttons, Count Jean Mark Brieuc, was a French citizen and a temporary resident of New York City.

He was a wealthy aristocrat who moved in the highest social circles. He was an official representative to the United States, but not in the service of his own government. Instead, he stood in behalf of private French trade interests as well as a few European business cartels.

How did they get into the lake?

Rumor has it, he went sailing on Oneida Lake one day with friends, and his wife. He was showing the buttons off when he commented that he "loved the buttons more than his wife." In a rage, she tossed them over the boat.

The box is a collection of rare buttons, many of which are precious metal. The chest was less than a foot long, more like a jewelry box. It has never been found. If the story is true, and these rumors are true, the chances of it ever being recovered are slim.

Take A Look Inside The Abandoned ShoppingTown Mall In Dewitt, NY

According to CNY Central, proposals are due by 4PM on April 27th. You can find them online here. Jordan Harmon was able to tour the property and take plenty of photos recently with permission from Onondaga County:

