Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Rectangular shaped copper cathode with rim around edges, hole slightly to one side of centre with indent on either side. Recovered from wreck of S.S. BENAMAIN, outward bound from Swansea for Treport, north east France with 'general cargo', struck rocks off Lundy in fog and was wrecked at Oxwich Bay, Gower on 29 March 1890, with no loss of life. Cargo was mainly cathodes (about 180 tons) with a smaller cargo of ingots (about 20 tons). Ingot is marked "V & S" which stands for Vivian & Sons, Swansea's largest firm of smelters.

S.S. BENAMAIN. Iron steamship. Wrecked at Oxwich Bay, Gower on 29 March 1890.