Cook Emblem Up For Grabs
Sun Herald
Sunday April 15, 2007
A RARE emblem from one of the cannons on Captain James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour will go to auction today
It clearly shows the King George II and Crown insignia and is only one of two relics of the great explorer's ship known to be in private hands.The cannon was thrown overboard in 1770 when the ship struck a reef north of what is now called Cooktown in Queensland. It was part of a load of ballast discarded to get the ship off the reef.The site was found by divers in 1969 and most of the relics were placed in various museums. The cannon was badly damaged so it was decided to remove the emblem as a separate piece.Twelve copies were struck and presented to world leaders including the Queen, and the original was returned to the person who is now selling it through Woodlands Auctions near Melbourne.
© 2007 Sun Herald