LUTINE GOLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23599, 8 September 1938, Page 12

LUTINE GOLD

RETURNED TO LLOYD’S ON VIEW TO MEMBERS SOME INTERESTING TREASURES • From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, Aug. 15. The 120 oz gold bar, valued at £B4O, which left London by stage coach in 1799 and lay on the ocean floor off the Dutch coast for 139 years, with the wreckage of the Lutine, until it was recovered by the dredge Karimata a few days ago, was brought back to London by air this week. It was taken to Lloyd's, whose members insured the Lutine, and nearly everybody with the entree visited the library where it was exhibited, together with the Spanish coin which was also salvaged. Appropriately they are exhibited on the table made from the rudder .of the ship salved by a previous exoedffion to the scene of the wreck of 1799. The bar of gold, though dull, is clean and the markings “ 2.F .8.8.57 ” are c^ ar ,]y visible. The milling on the edge of the gold coin of Charles IV of Spam, dated 1797, is oblique and very deeply cut. Both the bar and the com are insured for their intrinsic value as Part of the salvage, proceeding from the present expedition. WEDDING RINGS?

Members agree that a percentage of the gold found should be paid to the Dutch company who own dredger Karimata, but as they queuea to file past the bar, executives decided that the fate of the rest should be left to Lloyd’s committee. Most popular suggestion is that it should go to charity. If this scheme is adopted a further suggestion is that the gold should be sold in the form of wedding rings—“Lutine” wedding rings—or trinkets Lloyd’s other Lutine relics are insured for what is really only a nominal sum as part of the general “Treasures of Lloyd’s.” These include Swords of Honour awarded by Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund in the' Napoleonic Wars, the famous Nelson collection and many other items of historical and parochial interest.

The most interesting of the Lutine relics already housed at Lloyd’s, apart from the famous bell, is perhaps a large fragment of the ship’s log slate: but a gold watch, in excellent preservation, bearing the monogram “L. 5..” runs it close, for it is presumed to have belonged to Captain Lancelot Skynner. who commanded the vessel when she was wrecked. In the deputy chairman's room are three books bound in wood from the wreck and containing manuscript accounts of previous salvage expeditions. LIBRARY’S RELICS

The library holds many relics, some rather gruesome, as. for instance, several human bones. In a drawer in the medal cabinet are a number of coins from the wreck, Louis d’Or. Spanish silver dollars, a spade guinea and an English halfpenny among them. Cases round the room display cannon balls, grape shot, copper nails, a hammer, a pistol, a clay pipe such as seamen smoked in the eighteenth century and many other items all salved from the wreck and perfectly authenticated The Spanish coin newly recovereo may ioin them but the gold bar will be sold and the proceeds included with any other recoveries that may result from the current expedition. HOSPITALITY When Lloyd’s hold social receptions -as they do in important years—guests are free to wander about and inspect the treasures, which occupy several rooms. New Zealanders have attended Lloyd’s receptions, which are carried out on a lavish scale, with splendid floral decorations.