The Shipwreck Corner

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This is another amazing coin @lordmarcovan and another coin and shipwreck I had never heard of. This topic appears to cover every period and every continent.

 

SS Longships launched 1917 lost 1939.

This is a coin I found on Ebay last year ( last month actually ). It was recovered from the SS LONGSHIPS shipwreck of 1939 lost on the Seven Stones Reef.





SS Longships struck the Seven Stones reef, midway between Lands End and the Isles of Scilly, whilst on passage Belfast to Plymouth with a general cargo. The crew were rescued by the St. Mary's lifeboat and landed at Scilly. Most of the cargo was lost when she broke her back a week after grounding.
Fortunately there was no loss of life from this sinking.
The coin itself is very common but to find one recovered from a shipwreck adds some cachet. The coin came in a presentation case with a COA and two photographs. I believe my bid didn't even pay for the photographs and box so I am grateful for an honest Ebayer for honouring my bid which was only a quarter of what I could have paid if others had bid.
The seller is a well known diver who was involved in several historical wreck salvages. These are his listing comments.

"This only came to light when my son in law's father unfortunately died recently and these were in his possession as they had been taken from the wreck by his grandfather . I have lived on Scilly since 1969 and I never knew anything was salvaged from this wreck . Since finding the coins however it seems that a lot of Islanders spent Boxing Day 1939 collecting what they could as the ship carried a general cargo .Someone must have opened the safe and a package of these coins were found Many had their first suits from this ship ! "