Coins Found Under HMS Victory Foremast During Restoration
Six 19th-century coins were discovered beneath the foremast of HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The find occurred during mast removal work that is part of a decade-long restoration project.
The IndependentSix 19th-century coins and tokens were found beneath the foremast of HMS Victory after the mast was removed at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The discovery took place during the latest phase of a £42 million restoration project that has lasted ten years. A 750-tonne crane lifted the mizzen, foremast, and bowsprit from the ship.
Baines, executive director of museum operations at Royal Navy Museums, said the coins were placed under the mast as part of a maritime tradition meant to bring good fortune to the vessel and its crew. Five of the coins date to the period when the foremast was stepped in 1894.
The sixth coin is a token from Prince Edward Island, Canada, dated 1835. Karoline Sofie Hennum, conservator on HMS Victory, said the coins had been degraded by the weight of the 50-tonne mast and by corrosion over 132 years. The coins were removed from the base plate, cleaned, and X-rayed.
They will go on display starting May 23 in the Victory Gallery at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Victory is the world's oldest commissioned warship.
It served as Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805. The ship was floated out at Chatham in 1765 and moved to dry dock in Portsmouth in 1922. A scaffolding structure will enclose the ship until conservation work ends in 2033.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
4 events- 1894
Foremast was stepped with new wrought iron mast.
1 sourceThe Independent - 1922
HMS Victory moved to dry dock in Portsmouth.
1 sourceThe Independent - May 23, 2026
Coins will go on display at Victory Gallery.
1 sourceThe Independent - 2033
Conservation work on HMS Victory scheduled to end.
1 sourceThe Independent
Potential Impact
- 01
Visitors will see the coins in the Victory Gallery starting May 23.
- 02
Scaffolding will remain around the ship until 2033.
Transparency Panel
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