Treasure chests were boxes of varying size, filled with money and items of value, which could be found in a variety of locations. Though most were found in banks or under armed guard, they could also be located alone on various rooftops or streets. The money they contained could range from small to large amounts.
Chests in banks were protected by four armed guards, but those scattered inside cities were usually unguarded, or protected by only one or two guards. Those outside of cities however, such as in the Apennine Mountains, were not guarded at all. In Rome and Constantinople, though not usually directly guarded, people opening chests on rooftops would be attacked by any nearby patrolling archers.
Renaissance banks typically contained two chests, and while they were always guarded by three or four men outside the doors, more guards usually patrolled nearby. Rebecca Crane once stated that although all families owned banks, the Pazzi family owned the most by far, and that breaking into them would be worthwhile. However, guards affiliated with the House of Borgia were assigned to attend the banks containing Codex pages.
Art merchants also sold treasure maps that marked the locations of the chests in an entire city, or in one of its districts, with the maps varying in price. They costed between 150ƒ to 395ƒ in the city of Florence, 150ƒ in the Appennine Mountains, 285ƒ in Monteriggioni, 175ƒ to 240ƒ in Tuscany, 235ƒ to 260ƒ in Romagna, and 485ƒ to 995ƒ in Venice.
During the early 18th century, the pirate Edward Kenway located a significant number of treasure chests, both guarded and buried, throughout the Caribbean. Later, Edward's son Haytham, and grandson, Ratonhnhaké:ton, would also find chests located throughout New York, Boston and the Frontier. However, these chests differed from the Renaissance ones by the fact that they required lockpicking to access the contents.
However, upon liberating the districts in Boston and New York, Connor would receive the key to all the chests located within the liberated district, eliminating the need for lockpicking. Additionally, Connor gained the key to all Frontier chests. However, chests located inside forts always required lockpicking.
Certain treasure chests were guarded by dogs. Connor could lure them away using hunting bait, or killing them. Accompanying this, maps that detailed the chests' locations could be purchased from general stores.
Aside from money, chests found in Rome could also contain a variety of trade items. These could later be sold to shops, or traded for other valuable items or equipment. They could vary between common objects, such as jars of leeches, or valuable jewelry.
Chests could also be found in the many Lairs of Romulus. Aside from money and valuable items, one special chest per lair could be found in its shrine, which contained one of six keys that unlocked the door to the Followers of Romulus' treasure.
Chests in the American colonies contained recipes for items that could be crafted by the artisans in the Davenport Homestead. Scattered across the colonies were small trinket boxes which Connor retrieved for the sailor "Peg Leg" in exchange for letters from William Kidd, helping him locate the map to Kidd's treasure.
- Proximity to a treasure chest was signaled by a 'shimmering' sound effect identical to the ones heard near feathers, Glyphs as well as the decipher fragments in The Lost Archive.
- Assassin's Creed
- Templar knights would sometimes be found guarding chests, however these could not be opened.
- Assassin's Creed II
- There were 330 treasure chests spread over the four cities and mountains, as well as two hidden chests in each secret location.
- In general, the amount of florins in each chest increased with every new city Ezio traveled to, presumably due to the increasing cost of weapons and armor.
- Investing in the Monteriggioni Well, Mine and Church through the Villa Auditore would grant Ezio access to two additional chests in each of the three locations.
- There were also two chests in Ezio's room, in the top floor of the villa. These chests, despite being golden, only contained 200ƒ to 600ƒ.
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- In the memories "Escape From Debt" or "Follow The Money," two golden treasure chests may be found in Francesco Troche's house.