20 Rare Artifacts That Are The Last Standing Of Their Kind, As Shared By This Online Community

History is a treasure trove of fascinating artifacts that provide valuable insights into the past. These artifacts, from ancient relics to rare cultural items, serve as tangible links to bygone eras. However, some artifacts hold an even more extraordinary distinction—they are believed to be the only ones of their kind left in existence.

#1 Terracotta Warriors With The Original Paint Scheme

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#2 The “Iron Man” Buddha – The Only Statue Carved From A Meteor

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#3 The Pons Fabricus Is The Only Ancient Bridge In Rome Still In Its Original Location And Condition. The Last Major Repairs Occurred In 23 BCE

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#4 The Lycurgus Cup: The Only Complete Example Of Ancient Color-Changing Glass

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#5 One Of The Last Two Preserved Jolly Roger Pirate Flags Left In Existence

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#6 The Only Surviving Handwriting Of A Roman Emperor (Theodosius II)

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#7 The Barber Cup & Crawford Cup, The Only Two Examples Of Ancient Roman Vessels Carved From Fluorite

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#8 One Of The Two Coins Found Of The Roman Usurper Silbannacus, Who Would’ve Been Unknown Otherwise

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#9 Intact Bottle Of Ancient Roman Wine From 325ad

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#10 The Only Natural Fossil Of A Scorpion Made Entirely Out Of Copper

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#11 The Only Surviving Example Of A Crest From A Roman Centurion’s Helmet

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#12 The Sword Of Goujian Was Discovered Untarnished And Retains Sharp Edges After ~2500 Years

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#13 First Ever Intact Ballista Arrow Uncovered In Utrecht (Augusta Treverorum), Netherlands

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#14 The Vergilius Augusteus, One Of Only Two Surviving Ancient Manuscripts To Be Painstakingly Written In Roman Square Capitals

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#15 The Only Intact Bronze Lantern From Ancient Rome Next To A Reproduction. Housed In The Museo Archeologico Girolamo Rossi In Ventimiglia, Italy

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#16 Tombstone Of Marcus Caelius, The Only Known Example Of Direct Reference To The Varus Disaster During Which 20,000 Men Were Lost To Ambush

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Translation:

“To Marcus Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian voting tribe, from Bologna, a centurion in the First Order of legio XVIII, aged 53; He fell in the Varian War. His bones – if found – may be placed in this monument. Publius Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian voting tribe, his brother, set this up.”

#17 The Only Time A Monumental Column Was Erected And Adorned With A Statue That Was Not An Emperor Was The Early 2nd Century Gilded Bronze “Emona Citizen”. Housed In The Roman Lapidarium Of The National Museum Of Slovenia

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#18 The Only Surviving Example Of Roman “Cestus” Boxing Gloves

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#19 The Only Known Color Photograph Of The Russian Czar’s Fabled “Amber Room” – Looted By The Nazi’s This Unique, Priceless Work Of Art Was Lost For Ever (Maybe?). St Petersburg, 1943

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#20 One Of Only Three Papyrus Fragments Written In The Phoenician Language

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