Antiques Roadshow expert Lisa Lloyd revealed the value of a shilling that was recovered from the Titanic wreck site as the BBC programme filmed in Swansea
An Antiques Roadshow visitor was stunned by the remarkable valuation of a shilling retrieved from the Titanic disaster site.
On Sunday’s episode, the BBC One programme visited the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, where a guest presented an item salvaged from the 1912 maritime tragedy.
The visitor brought along a photograph of her great-great-uncle, Reginald Hale, alongside an Edwardian silver shilling that had once been his, revealing that he had moved to America in his early 20s and worked there for several years.
She continued: “He came back to the UK because his father died and he wanted to be with his mother. He spent the winter here, and then in the spring of 1912 he’d always intended to travel back to the States.
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“The first opportunity he had to go back to the States was on the Titanic. Reg boarded the Titanic and he didn’t make it.”
More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic went down on April 15, 1912, following a collision with an iceberg, although the precise number of fatalities has never been established, reports the Express.
Over 1,000 bodies were never found, with just 334 recovered, some of which were laid to rest at sea.
She added: “He was found, the decision was made to bury him at sea. What was sent back were the effects in his pocket and in his possession, and this shilling is one of those items.”
Expert Lisa Lloyd responded: “I actually checked on the Titanic register after speaking to you earlier, and found Reg there. He was body number 75, and he was picked up on the second day.
“There are extensive lists of what was found on the bodies. It says that he had 16 shillings, a $10 note, gloves, a purse and some keys, and they presumably were then returned to his mother.”
Eventually, the shilling was passed down through the family, to the guest’s great-grandfather.
His other effects are unknown, but possibly divided up between his 11 surviving siblings. “It’s a bit of a mystery,” she confessed.
The expert responded: “What is really important, obviously, is that we have a cast-iron provenance as to where this shilling came from and who it belonged to.
“If it were to come up for sale at auction, I’m fairly certain it would have a sale estimate of £10,000 to £15,000 and it would make that quite comfortably.”
Taken aback by the staggering sum, the guest replied: “Gosh, for something that in itself is seemingly so insignificant, that’s incredible.
“I’d love to know where they were and whether there are more envelopes out there that we’ve not found out about yet,” she mused, as the expert explained that the 15 other shillings may be with distant family members.”
Antiques Roadshow airs Sundays at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer