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Historic shipwreck artefact up for auction

Hansons An old piece of black metal encased in glass and a wooden frame. It is sitting in a wooden frame.Hansons
The historic piece could fetch as much as £1,500 when it goes under the hammer, the auctioneers said

A relic which an RAF technician said he salvaged from the wreckage of a famous 18th Century ship is set to go under the hammer.

John Coleman, from Benfleet in Essex, said he retrieved the large piece of copper sheathing from HMS Bounty in the Pitcairn Islands in 1973.

He displayed the impressive find - patinated with verdigris, oxidisation and a patch of barnacles - on his mantelpiece for decades, up until his death aged 87 in 2014.

The artefact will be sold by Hansons Auctioneers on 26 February.

The sheathing was inherited by Mr Coleman's daughter, book-keeper Michelle Childs.

Hansons John Coleman's two old and discoloured diary logs, each of which feature a small picture of him.Hansons
Mr Coleman's diary logs from his time in the Pitcairn Islands will also make up the lot

Ms Childs, 57, who lives in Rugby, Warwickshire, said: "My late father suffered with Alzheimer's in later life but vividly recalled Pitcairn, his adventures and the friends he made.

"He used to say Pitcairn was paradise.

"Dad made the casing for it and the relic took pride of place on his mantelpiece for all to see - and begged a question. It was a good conversation starter.

"For 10 years I kept his historical treasure carefully bubble-wrapped in my loft for fear it may get broken or stolen.

"Now I've decided it's time to part with it to preserve it for future generations. I would love it to go to someone who appreciates Bounty's incredible story."

Mr Coleman had been dispatched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire at the time.

National Maritime Museum A painting depicting the historical mutiny of HMS Bounty. Men can be seen adrift on a small boat while others can be seen looking down at them from HMS Bounty.National Maritime Museum
HMS Bounty, depicted in this painting, was taken over by mutineers in 1789

Mutineers took over the ship in April 1789 and it was burned by them at Pitcairn in the South Pacific the following year – an event which is considered one of the most notorious in maritime history.

The auctioneers said the relic had been preserved for 50 years in Mr Coleman's bespoke glazed frame with a plaque and there was also what appeared to be an original ship's nail hammered into the wood.

The lot, including Mr Coleman's handwritten Pitcairn Island logs, is priced at £1,000-£1,500 by the auctioneers, but they hope it will sell for even more.

Hansons A black and white image of John Coleman as a young man during his time in the RAF. He is wearing a smart uniform, including a shirt and tie, and hat.Hansons
Mr Coleman, who died aged 87 in 2014, served in the RAF as a technician

Matt Crowson, head of militaria at Hansons, said: "It's an astonishing find which travelled 8,940 miles to reach the UK 50 years ago.

"The mutiny on the Bounty is a legendary story of human endeavour, betrayal, love and adventure. It even has an unresolved mystery."

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