2017-02-16 Thu

On Oct. 26, 1859, the steam clipper Royal Charter was returning to England from Melbourne, filled with Australian gold. The ship sank due to a hurricane near Moelfre — killing 459 passengers and crew members. Coins recovered from this shipwreck will be offered at a Halls auction on 22nd March. The collection offered by the diver’s widow consists of six sovereigns, a single half sovereign, eternity and signet rings, and a nugget pin worth a total of £4,000.

The ship had gold items worth £322,440 which are worth millions of pounds’ today. It also carried miners who had spent a lot of time in Australia gathering the gold.

Many of the victims were wearing gold belts, carrying gold-stuffed luggage, and wearing garments sewn with gold inside. When they jumped off the ship, they drowned due to the weight of Gold that they were carrying.

The four-year-old Royal Charter was also one of the fastest ships in the world in those days.