Lucky coin found in medieval ship The coin is inscribed in Latin and has a cross on one face A French silver coin has been found embedded in the keel of a medieval ship uncovered on the banks of the river Usk in Newport three years ago. The discovery of the 15th Century coin is being interpreted as a sign that the ship came originally from France. Experts believe the coin was new and was intended to be a good luck charm. Project leader Kate Hunter said a colleague was shaking when she found the coin. She said: "We all understood immediately how important it was." There's a long tradition in ships of putting coins under the mast or in the keel as a good luck charm Project leader Kate Hunter The Newport ship is the most complete surviving 15th Century vessel discovered in recent years. It was found on the banks of the river during the construction of The Riverfront arts centre. The coin, wrapped in tarred caulking, was discovered in one of the wooden timbers being studied by the city council's ship recording team. The ship is one of the most important finds of recent times It was in a hole cut above the ship's keel at the point where it connects to the stem-post, the timber which forms the bow. The two timbers would have been the first the ship's builders put in position and archaeologists believe the coin was inserted as a good luck charm. Ms Hunter said colleague Angela Karsten was the first to spot the coin. She said: "We think it's been put in as a good luck charm. There's a long tradition in ships of putting coins under the mast or in the keel as a good luck charm." The coin has been identified by expert Edward Besly from the National Museum of Wales as a petit blanc of the Dauphin Louis de France, who became Louis X1 in 1461. Minted in the town of Crémieu between 1440 to 1456, the coin comes from Dauphiné, an area of south-eastern France traditionally held by the Dauphin, the eldest son of the king of France. The worker who made the discovery cleans the coin in the timber The type of coin was in circulation through 15th Century France and the dolphin, the symbol of the Dauphin, is found on both sides. The outward face of the coin shows a cross and is inscribed in Latin "Blessed be the name of the Lord". Future generations The discovery also means the restoration team, who already know the ship was abandoned on wooden struts around 1468, can calculate the ship's working life. The fact that many of the artefacts discovered in the vessel are European, experts say, points to the ship's continental origin. The archaeological team is recording and analysing the 1,700 timbers in the ship using digital technology. In December the restoration project received a grant of almost £800,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Ron Jones, cabinet member for culture and recreation on Newport council, said the latest find was "one of great significance". Mr Jones said: "The whole restoration of the Newport ship is an exciting journey in itself, and I am sure this latest find is one of great significance. "We look forward to many more discoveries as the project continues its excellent progress." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4686056.stm
I wonder if there is any chance that they stuck coins in the hulls of ships to serve as anodes to reduce galvanic action on nails, plates, and fittings? Would that even work with a wooden ship?
Now I know that builders use to put a coin above the door or window lintel when building a new house to bring it luck, I wonder if this is the same sort of thing? De Orc
I have a blanc duenar from that period which has this red crud on the reverse.It looks and feels like rust but the coin is definitely silver.Is it possible that there are impurities in the silver that cause this? I might just tar it to the hood of my car for good luck.
A couple of years ago I was metal detecting down near Buffalo Gap, SD and while going around the foundation of a 'stage-coach' station got a strong signal. Came up with an 1897 Silver Dollar, could have been above a door frame I suspose. Bone
Hey Bone..How are ya? Nice find..what kind of detector were/are you using? I was planning on an Excaliber by Mine Labs this month to start up here in New England...rich from a Historical aspect... RickieB
No it wouldn't. The galvanic protection only works if there is an "electrical" conection between the anode and the metal to be protected. The nail, fittings etc would be seperated from the coins by the wood, an insulator, so no protection would occur. Even if there was a connection you wouldn't use silver coins. Galvanic protection works because one of the metals is more "electricly active" and its corrosion protects the less active metal. In the case of iron and silver, Iron is the more active metal so the nails, plates, and fittings would corrode in order to protect the silver coins.
Saying things like anodes and reduced galvanic action would probably have gotten you burned at the stake as a witch back then
No problem, I didn't know what I was talking about. :mouth: Boney, My wife has a fancy White metal detector. There is so much natural mineralization around here that we have not found any gold nuggets yet. They ought to be here because we live in the middle of the Mother Lode. I've been to Buffalo Gap.
Bone it is quite possible that the coin was placed in the foundations of the building, as I say it was a very common ocurence over here so it might well have travled with Imigrants to the US. De Orc
Oh, I have no doubt. When my dad built our house down in Texas in the 1950's (which was after he retired from the US Marines) he placed a silver dollar in/above the first two door frames he added. Only trouble was I found them years later, LOL, had to share with my brother One was an 1887-0 Morgan, and the other was a Peace Dollar. Can't remember the date of that one though. B
LOL My old man is a coin collecter, he lives in rural Wales and was a builder, I use to be amazed at the times he would look at a old house we were working on and he would tell me where to find coins he was also a early detectorist (if that is such a word LOL) and rather good at it as well. De Orc
I'll tell you what, I've gotten hooked on that show coming out of Britian about the detectorist's and their finds. Ancient jewelry, gold cups, Roman burial sites, and the like. Just can't recall the proper name of it now. Treasure Quest or something like that. B
