Hidden coins and scroll found after masts removed from Glasgow's historic tall ship

Hidden coins and a scroll have been found in the base of the Tall Ship Glenlee’s main mast after it was removed.

Two of the floating museum’s three famous masts have been removed for the first time in 30 years and are due to be taken to Essex on Tuesday for refurbishment and repair.

A 1998 gold sovereign and a silver dollar, along with a scroll acknowledging the members of the Trust and Ship Committee who contributed to the restoration process, were found beneath the main mast in a small commemorative wooden box.

The items were placed on July 16, 1998, after all three lower mast sections were lifted and carefully slotted into position.

The Tall Ship Glenlee with its one remaining mast t The Riverside Museum in Glasgow. Martin Shields

Ten-year-old Tom Gibson stood beside his grandad, Murray Scrimgeour, watching the mast being stepped.

He threw a 10p coin into the mast base alongside the official box.

After the 10p coin was found, Tom, now an engineer with CalMac, said: “I never thought I would see it again!”

Placing coins under the main mast before stepping, or lifting the masts, is an ancient tradition thought to bring good luck to the ship.

While the current restoration is being carried out, the box and its contents will be kept safe in the Museum store, but they will be returned with a new 2026 coin and Tom’s 10p coin from 1998.

Lauren Henning, museum and learning manager, said: “While the dramatic lifting of the masts has quite rightly been the focus of attention this week, the rediscovery of the box reminds us what a remarkable achievement the 1990s restoration project was.

A 10p piece that was thrown in by ten-year-old Tom Gibson during the ceremony in 1998. Martin Shields

“Tom’s coin also encourages us to view the ship through the eyes of a child, reminding us that Glenlee’s story is not only about engineering and conservation, but about the people and personal moments that give the ship its enduring meaning.”

Built in 1896 in the town of Port Glasgow, the former merchant sailing vessel was designed to carry cargo across the world and has circumnavigated the globe five times.

By the 1990s, Glenlee was in a state of disrepair before being rescued by what is now known as the Tall Ship Glenlee Trust.

For the first time in 30 years, The Tall Ship Glenlee, a floating museum, has had its famous masts removed for essential conservation work. Martin Shields

The ship has since been restored to her former glory and has become a popular museum, visitor attraction and events venue.

It is the last remaining three-masted Clyde-built sailing ship still afloat in the UK, the only steel square-rigged cargo vessel remaining in the whole of the UK, and one of just four Clyde-built sailing vessels of its kind remaining in the world.

The Tall Ship Glenlee will be open while the conservation work is happening in the coming months.