If I ever get the chance to travel to the United Kingdom, among my top three must sees, dos, visits, and haunts; Gothic Mecca-the Batcave, Bram Stoker’s grave, and the HMS Victory at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. Of course I need to be healthy to do what want to do whist there.
“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven.
This is only the second time I’ve presented a silver coin of this lesser known coin series of Rwanda’s Nautical Ounce. The previous being the 2017 Rwanda 50 Franc Santa Maria. Since then, there were subtle improvements without taking too away from the elements that gives this series it’s unique style. So as usual, I do not mind being fashionably late.
It still makes me wonder why this landlocked country known more for its temperate tropical highlands and wildlife diversity celebrating famous great sailing ships of the past. 🤔
The Coin of a legendary Vessel
So there.
I went through the ghastly exercise of extracting this lovely coin to be admired under a warm full spectrum light. glorious is it not? For the life of me I could not achieve a satisfactory photo with the bloody polymer flip in the way. Speaking of bloody, I did exercise caution deploying my MicroTech Stiletto knife. I love the feel of a excellent quality blade.
With this coin Rwanda celebrates the HMS Victory’s 260 years of active service being the longest commissioned ship of the Royal navy. Realistically no ship could remain in active service for such a long time under the rigors of the open sea without all the constant repairs from wear and tear, attacks from nature as well as damage from action. Today it’s estimated that at least 20% of the wood timbers remain from the original 1765 vessel.
About the ship
The Victory is a massive 104 gun first rate ship of the line designed by naval architect Thomas Slade. State of the art when it comes to wood designed ships of war and an engineering marvel to fit both function and form. One of 12 ships ordered by the Prime Minister William Pitt on July 14th 1758 as the Seven Years war was still in progress. Her keel laid down a year later on July 23 1759 at Chatham dockyard. On May 7th 1765 she was launched only to be stored out of service from the end of the war.
HMS Victory's Quick Stats
| Specifics | The numbers |
|---|---|
| Built in Kent; | Chatham Dockyard #2 |
| Class & Type; | First rate Ship of the Line |
| Launched; | May 7, 1765 |
| Length; | 186 ft. or 57 m |
| Beam; | 51 ft. Or 15.8 m |
| Draught; | 28ft 9 in |
| Displacement; | 3500 long tons |
| Tons Burden; | 2142 Tons |
| Propulsion; | Sail, 6510 sqft. |
| Sail Plan; | Full rigged ship |
| Speed; | up to 11 knots |
| Compliment; | 850 crew |
| Armament; | 104 guns total; |
| -Forecastle | 2 guns x 12lb |
| -Forecastle | 2 guns x 68lb Cannonade |
| -Quarterdeck | 12 guns x 12lb |
| -Upper Gundeck | 30 guns x 12lb |
| -Middle Gundeck | 28 guns x 24lb |
| -Lower Gundeck | 30 guns x 32lb |
| Ammunition; | - |
| Cannon Shot | 100 Tons |
| Gun Powder | 35 Tons in 784 Barrels |
| - | - |
| Her typical speed is 6 knots. With the additional compliment of 60 to 90 Marines would round out this ship’s fighting power and bring the ship’s compliment to well over 900. |
The Victory started out with 100 guns, and had seen various configurations under different commanding officers. The above armament mix of 104 guns selected by Admiral Horatio Nelson that suited his bold close in fighting style.
A Crew of 850+ has gotta eat
The typical grocery shopping list for up to 6 months at sea...
300 tons of 150 Gallon casks of potable water
50 Tons salted beef
50 Tons salted pork
45 Tons biscuits
10 Tons flour
50 Tons Spirits, Beer, Rum
2 Tons of butter
2 Tons of peas
When she was finally commissioned in 1778 she was named HMS Victory and dispatched to participate in the battle of Ushant that year and again on 1781. From 1779 to 1783 participating in the siege of Gibraltar. The battle of Spartel in 1782. The battle of Hyeres Islands in 1795, the battle of Cape Saint Vincent of 1797. And in 1805 the she made history under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson at Trafalgar.
Following the October 21st of 1805 Battle of Trafalgar The Victory suffered 159 casualties including the shocking loss of Admiral Nelson. At the spear point of the attack Nelson's flagship took the brunt of the fire and was heavily damaged in such a manner that she could not sail under her own power. She was temporarily patched up before being towed in a jury rigged manner. On March 6th 1806 the Victory returns to Chatham’s Number two dock, where she was originally launched, for extensive repair and assessment.
The Victory saw service but limited action in the Baltic Sea campaign in aid of Swedish Finland under the treat of Russian invasion. By this time Victory was to old and not seaworthy enough to be considered first-rate. However retained her flagship status under Vice Admiral James Saumarez in 1808.
From 1813 to 1817 the idle Victory in Portsmouth functioned as a prison ship. Plans were made to refit her back into service but when she was re-floated in 1824 it was determined that she was only suitable as Portsmouth’s Port Admiral’s ship.
1832 she was recommissioned as flagship to the port admiral following the public outcry of the Admiralty having ordered her to be broken up for her timbers to be used on other ships.
The Victory had a Royal visit by the young Victoria and Duchess of Kent reigniting public interest in 1833 and again in 1844 making the former warship a popular public exhibit.
As the years go by the debate between those that are pragmatic in the efficient use of resources and those arguing for the preservation of this storied ship as a valuable national symbol may continue. Backed by public support and donations the Preservationists still win the day. And the reason why the HMS Victory continues fulfilling her commission as a public national symbol and as flagship of the first Sea Lord.
So, should I ever get the chance, I would fancy to spend a few nights aboard to see if the spirits of Victory’s past still haunt her decks with pride or of purpose. Yes, there have been reports of paranormal activity aboard.
I will need to get advance permission and it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Should I be fortunate to photograph a full bodied apparition I will post it on Hive first. 👻
Toodle-do! 🇬🇧
Stacking Precious metals and Crypto for those dark stormy days!
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References & Sources
Wiki; HMS Victory 1765.
Numista; 2025 Rwanda 50 Franc HMS Victory.
YouTube; “How an 18th Century Sailing ship works.”.
HMS Victory Ghosts of Portsmouth historic dockyard.
Photos are my own shot with an ancient 2018 Samsung SM-A530W or otherwise indicated.
F. The Seafarers; Fighting Sail. 1978 by ABC Whipple, Time-Life Books Ltd., 184 pages, ISBN 0-8094-2656-0, Background pp 17, 18-19.
P. Image under Pixabay
W. Wiki Commons
☠️🎃 Page Dividers by thekittygirl. ❄️🌞
Cameo Raven Brooch from The Black Wardrobe.
Physical precious metals bullion stacking is only a part of my personal overall financial strategy. Meanwhile, collecting numismatics have a different set of objectives and strategy. Unless you are a complete nutcase as I am please, do your research before deciding to buy into any bullion or numismatic products.