News is abound with Odyssey Marine Exploration’s claim to have discovered HMS Victory, the legendary British warship that disappeared in the English Channel following a 1744 storm.
Odyssey, a deep-sea exploration and treasure-hunting firm, announced their findings last Monday in London. The warship may have been carrying up to 100,000 gold coins weighing four tons before it sank to the sea-floor.
"The money is not as important as the cultural and historical significance of the discovery," Greg Stemm, chief executive officer of Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration said.
"HMS Victory was the mightiest vessel of the 18th Century and the eclectic mix of guns we found on the site will prove essential in further refining our understanding of naval weaponry used during the era."
Read the rest of this entry »
Admiral Sir John Balchin’s British warship HMS Victory has been discovered in the English Channel where it fell victim to a 1744 storm, Florida-based deep-ocean shipwreck firm Odyssey Marine Exploration said Monday.
Among other artifacts, accounts say the ship may have carried 100,000 gold coins weighing up to four tons. Odyssey has not specified a value of any items found, saying only its research "indicates that Balchin’s Victory sank with a substantial amount of gold and silver specie aboard."
The legendary warship was the biggest in the world during its day, and mysteriously disappeared with its complement of more than 900 sailors in October 1744.
The HMS Victory shipwreck site was found in May 2008. Odyssey retrieved a brass cannon on the ocean floor and was able to positively identify that it came from the warship, according to a company statement. Read the rest of this entry »
