A Prince Edward Island token dated 1835 has been discovered beneath the foremast of HMS Victory during a major restoration of the historic warship at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The token, stamped with a ship and the inscription "Ships, Colonies and Commerce," was one of six coins placed there in 1894 as part of a naval tradition for good fortune.
A Canadian connection
The Prince Edward Island token is the most intriguing find, said Andrew Baines, executive director of museum operations at Royal Navy Museums. Its slogan reflects the maritime and imperial trade networks of the 19th century, a world in which Canada played a vital role as a shipbuilding centre and timber supplier for the Royal Navy. The token's presence beneath the mast suggests the coins were chosen for symbolic as well as practical reasons, linking the flagship directly to colonial commerce.
Five other coins date to the period when the foremast was stepped in 1894, when the ship's original wooden masts were replaced with wrought iron versions. They include three one-penny pieces featuring a "bun head" portrait of Queen Victoria, a halfpenny and a farthing. A single farthing had been found earlier beneath the main lower mast.
"We cannot yet say why this particular token was selected, but its presence beneath the foremast adds another layer to the story," Mr Baines said. "Hidden from view for more than a century, these objects nevertheless speak directly to the people who cared for Victory and the traditions they chose to continue."
Restoration continues
Conservator Karoline Sofie Hennum said the coins had been heavily degraded by the prolonged pressure of the 50-tonne mast and 132 years of corrosion. They were removed from the base plate, cleaned with brushes, wooden skewers and tweezers, then X-rayed to reveal both sides.
HMS Victory, the world's oldest commissioned warship, was Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The ship was floated out at Chatham in 1765 and moved to dry dock in Portsmouth in 1922. A 750-tonne crane recently removed the mizzen, foremast and bowsprit masts as part of a 10-year, £42 million conservation project. A scaffolding structure will enclose the ship until work is completed in 2033.
The coins will go on display from May 23 in the Victory Gallery at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.