PORT ROYAL, CAPTAIN HENRY MORGAN'S BRIG, IRON BELT BUCKLE,1692

Description

PORT ROYAL, CAPTAIN HENRY MORGANS BRIG, IRON BELT BUCKLE ,1692
This coral encrusted iron belt buckle was found on the wreck of Captain/Lt. Governor Henry Morgan’s brig that sank in Port Royal harbor during the earthquake of 1692.
It is in as found uncleaned condition & was only washed with warm water & mild dish detergent to remove the salt stains & for preservation.
It is about 2 11/16” in diameter with a 2 13/16” tongue still attached with medium pitting & has dark brown patina.
It was on display in the Port Royal Museum for many years but was sold by the museum when it closed down to pay off debts.
It was bought by Joseph Becker who added it to his large collection of Port Royal artifacts.
He was a formed Navy dived that had dove on the old port for many years & had found quite a few artifacts.
Artifacts from Port Royal are now considered to be quite rare & are never seen at antique shows anymore.
Port Royal Bay is now so polluted from the sewers of the nearby city that it is dangerous to swim or dive in the water!