On December 28th, 1583, the Elizabethan merchant galleon Ann Francis, returning from Spain, carrying smuggled gold and silver coins, was wrecked at Morfa Margam, Port Talbot, Wales. Over four hundred years later, in the summer of 1996, William Edward Thomas, whilst enjoying his hobby of beach metal detecting, stumbled upon the wreck's fabulous treasure and maritime artefacts. For over twenty years of secret searching, he followed the shifting sands and persevered against the odds to hunt down treasure dispersed over miles of open foreshore. With no more than a shovel and a metal detector, he found some of the rarest and most significant shipwreck treasures ever recovered from a UK beach. However, the treasure is only half the story. His research revealed an extraordinary story that makes the shipwreck unique and one of the most fascinating ever to be discovered.
This captivating book takes the reader on a dual journey of exciting treasure recoveries and a voyage into the past, where fact is stranger than fiction. The reader can feel the thrill of the hunt, share in the detective work, and marvel in wonderment at the astonishing revelations. It's a unique Welsh treasure story that keeps on giving.