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The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundamental unit of human social life, which includes shared language, values, and culture. Thus national treasure, part of the ideology of nationalism, is shared culture.

A national treasure can be a shared cultural asset, which may or may not have monetary value; for example, a skilled banjo player would be a Living National Treasure. Or it may refer to a rare cultural object, such as the medieval manuscript Plan of St. Gall in Switzerland. The government of Japan designates the most famous of the nation's cultural properties as National Treasures of Japan. The National Treasures of Korea are a set of artifacts, sites, and buildings that are recognised by South Korea as having exceptional cultural value.

Notable examples

There are thousands of national treasures around the world. Listed here are samples of the different types of things that can be national treasure:

People

Examples of people who have been described as national treasures include the following:

• Certain countries officially designate individuals or groups as Living National Treasures. See, for example, National Living Treasures of the Philippines and Living National Treasures of Japan
• Comedian, actor, author and director Stephen Fry, broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, activist and Royal Catherine Princess of Wales, Monarch and head of Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth II and racing driver Stirling Moss have in several high-brow non-industry-specific publications been referred to as national treasures of the United Kingdom.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}
• Tāme Iti, a Tūhoe activist, artist and rangatira who formed Ngā Tamatoa, and Kim Hill, broadcaster, are considered national treasures of New Zealand.^[8][9]
• Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, the voice of Gaelic games, has been described both as a "national treasure" and "Ireland's greatest national treasure", often with reference to the tendency in the neighbouring United Kingdom to declare such people as this.^[10][11][12]
• After the Brazil national football team won the 1962 FIFA World Cup, wealthy European clubs offered massive fees to sign their young star player, Pelé, but the government of Brazil declared him an official national treasure to prevent him from being transferred out of the country.^[13]
• The late German humorist Vicco von Bülow alias Loriot had the status of a national treasure in Germany.^[14]

In 2013 the British satirical magazine Private Eye began running a column poking fun at an exponential increase in references in the press to "national treasures".^[15]

Cultural artifacts

• Stonehenge and Magna Carta in the United Kingdom. The National Treasure for Public Life is called The Magna Carta Award.^[16]

Geographic features

• The Constitution of Greece of 2001 declared that the Greek coastline is a national treasure (see Patras)

Music

• In 1997, the United States Library of Congress recognized the song "Truckin'" by the rock band Grateful Dead as a national treasure of the United States.^[17]
• Andy Williams's voice was described as a national treasure by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.^[18]