Shipwreck Treasure Hoard Found by Metal Detectorist
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
The treasure dates back to 1583, when a valuable cargo of grain was sent to Spain by ship. A violent storm meant both the ship and payment were lost on its return.
Peter Hughes, 69, spent 21 years uncovering hundreds of coins and other items with his metal detector, after storms blew away the sand concealing them on Margam Beach in Wales. He described the day he first struck gold, in 1996, as "just incredible", adding: "When I lifted the coin from the sand, and the sand fell off the coin, it glowed like the sun in my hand." said Hughes. The treasure has now gone on display for the first time at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.
"I was overwhelmed, because I saw the figure of a saint holding a ship, Saint Vincent, and I thought it was a token at first. But when I turned it over and saw the shield of Portugal, then I knew it was a coin. I was overwhelmed with excitement, the thrill was unbelievable." Hughes' finds include several historical gold coins from the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. There is also a Boatswain's whistle and a combination lock from one of the wooden chests - with its code still to be cracked.
Experts believe that only a quarter of the money that was aboard the Ann Francis ship, which was caught in the storm on 28 December 1583, has been discovered. However, before the beach is swamped by metal detectorists searching for the rest of the cargo, it is now a protected site in order to preserve any other potential remains of the ship - meaning it is no longer legal to search there.
Hughes said he had been to the beach more than 1,000 times and spent thousands of hours searching for the shipwreck's treasure. He said the vast majority of his visits to the beach had ended up with him finding nothing, adding that it was lucky he had a "high tolerance to disappointment" and the "thrill of searching just kept me going".
All images credit: Amgueddfa Cymru
