Divers Anglesey Gold Coins Search

by Richard Williams
(Anglesey)

A major excavation off the Anglesey coast aims to recover a huge gold coins treasure trove lost from 18th century French ships sent by Louis XV.

Apparently, the French King was trying to help Bonnie Prince Charlie after the Jacobite Rebellion had failed at Culloden in 1746.

What other explanation could there be for such activity in this place as I walked along the Anglesey Coastal Path the other day?

Here at Porth Dafarch beach every summer people come to enjoy water activities and coastal walks including coasteering, but this summer they may get more than they bargained for.

According to some divers there could be more than 800,000 Louis D'Or coins sealed in metal boxes now sunk into the seabed just off the Porth Dafarch bay area near Holyhead on Holy Island.

The company leading this gold exploration which could cost up to £1 million and last around five years, is Maritime Resurgence and its project leader, Joe McCormack, said it all began when his son found a copper disc in the nearby waters about 15 years ago.

After the National Museum of Scotland confirmed the authenticity of the object as the seal for the ring worn by Mary Queen of Scots, the project gained renewed momentum.

This operation will involve the diving team putting in a solid platform of scaffolding along the rocky edges as a base from which to carry out their searches, and this will allow them to explore whatever the state of the tides.

Given the sensitivity of the operations, permission has to be granted by the local authority as well as CADW, the ancient monuments body in Wales.

Anyone who has sailed or used a canoe or kayak along this coast will know how strong the tidal currents can be and when you add to that the fierce winds we occasionally experience, then it is quite plausible that ships could be wrecked if they get into serious difficulty here.

Many will know that Anglesey's coastline is littered with wrecks across the ages.

So what exactly is the basis of Mr McCormack's theory, and is this project going anywhere?

Were these ships the actual ships sent to rescue Bonnie Price Charlie who was now in hiding? After all, if the gold never reached the Prince, it may have been taken elsewhere.

Now we hear that the dive team believe that Louis XV sent captured English ships with gold bullion, following failure of the original mission.

Then in treacherous conditions off the west coast of Anglesey they hit the rocks off Porth Dafarch and sank. Over time the rough seas and strong tides would have washed the wreckage away, leaving the iron boxes full of gold coins at the bottom of the sea.

Let's see what happens over the coming weeks and months with this exciting project. This revelation follows on from another discovery, a hoard of
silver coins on Llanddona beach, on the east side of the island.

For more news, stories and articles on the island, subscribe to our free Anglesey Today Newsletter here. It's as easy as 1-2-3!