Coal recovered from the Titanic, rope from Henry VIII’s flagship… A collection of 1254 lots found in the depths of the oceans will be auctioned in England on November 6 and 7.
Remains of the Titanicthe Mary Rose and the British fleet… No less than 8,000 objects recovered from the depths of the oceans are auctioned this Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 November in England, reports the English daily newspaper The Guardian . A multitude of treasures discovered on 150 wrecks, including that of the famous Titanic and King Henry VIII’s ship the Mary Rose, make up the sale.
A godsend for collectors the world over, who could acquire goods coveted for decades by explorers. This rich, priceless collection belongs to the Shipwreck Treasure naval museum, located in the small port of Charlestown in Cornwall – in southwestern England. British territory. It was put on the market earlier this year for £1.95 million, without finding any takers.
The extensive collection, divided into 1254 lots, is back in the spotlight. ” I can’t imagine there’s a more important collection of maritime archaeology in the world “confides the Lay’s Auctioneers auctioneer in charge of the sale to Guardian. The rare objects come from shipwrecks, now classified as protected historic sites or war graves. Some date back to the XVIe century, enough to attract the interest of many history buffs.
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The Titanic, the Mary Rose…
The sale includes 46 grams of coal recovered in 1994 from the Titanic. A fuel used to power the ship’s infamous voyage to New York in 1912. The lot is estimated at £1,500. Fascination with the liner continues. Last April, a gold pocket watch recovered from the body of John Jacob Astor – the ship’s richest passenger – sold for no less than £1.175 million. The man had remained on the sinking Titanic, while his wife had boarded a lifeboat.
” Practically nothing from the Mary Rose can be found on the market, it’s so rare. “
Richard Larn, former Navy diver.
The other attraction of the sale would be a piece of rope taken from the flagship Mary Rose. This emblem of the House of Tudor was part of the naval program of King Henry VIII of England in the early 16th century.e century, designed to combat the French fleet. ” Practically nothing from the Mary Rose can be found on the market, it’s so rare! “says Richard Larn, former navy diver and expert in historic shipwrecks. The rope is estimated at between £5,000 and £10,000.
The British fleet in the spotlight
Also under the hammer are flintlock rifles recovered from the wreck of the Comte d’Abergavenny – a ship of the East India Company commanded by John Wordsworth. The famous Romantic poet William Wordsworth – commander John’s older brother – was inspired by the shipwreck in Weymouth Bay in 1805 to write several laments, including Elegiac Stanzas (1807). The coins were used to light the gunpowder on the boat and are said to have been found”. in surprising condition ” according to Lay’s Actioneers. “They look newsays David Lay. Estimates range from £100 to £200. “
The British fleet is also honored with the sale of a large piece of carved wood, estimated at between £20,000 and £30,000. This relic comes from the stern of the HMS Eagle, one of the fifteen British vessels that seized Gibraltar in 1704.