Nelson's £1million sword discovered at the bottom of the Med
- On 30/01/2012
- In Treasure Hunting / Recoveries
- 0 comments
By Rick Dewsbury - Daily Mail
Lord Nelson's sword is hidden in a ship wreck 500ft below the surface of the Mediterranean sea, an explorer has claimed.
Diver Mark Ellyatt says that he discovered the weapon in the ruins of HMS Victoria, which sank off the coast of Lebanon in 1893.
The sword is said to have been among a haul of Nelson memorabilia that belonged to Vice Admiral George Tyron. Collectors could pay up to £1m for the artifact - which is the same one that the Naval Lord shown holding on Nelson's Column in central London.
However, there are concerns about who would claim ownership of the sword if it is recovered from the sea.
Mr Ellyatt said he found the sword in Tryon's cabin which had an adjoining cupboard containing a number of items that belonged to Nelson.
'The MoD wanted to know the whereabouts of anything to do with Nelson. They didn't want it appearing on auction websites,' Mr Ellyatt told the Telegraph.
'They were very interested in the sword but seemed to get cold feet when I offered to bring it up for them. I don't want people to go and strip the ship bare.
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