Treasure hunter’s patience yields coins from 1583 wreck
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Peter Hughes, a 69-year-old metal detecting enthusiast from Wales, discovered nearly 900 gold and silver coins on a beach after searching for 21 years.
Hughes began finding coins on Margam beach in Neath Port Talbot in 1996, following storms that revealed the treasure hidden in the sand. The coins and other items originated from the Ann Francis, a ship lost in a storm in 1583 while returning from Spain.
The recovered collection includes coins from the reigns of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, along with personal items, cooking utensils, and a brass combination lock from one of the ship's wooden chests. Experts estimate that only about one-quarter of the ship’s original wealth has been found so far, and they have not yet deciphered the code on the lock. Hughes visited the beach over 1,000 times, often finding nothing, but continued his search due to his persistence.
The treasure is now displayed at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, and the beach is now a protected site to preserve any remaining parts of the wreck, making further searching illegal. Records from the period support the authenticity of the finds.
