AN opportunity to own a piece of maritime history from the oldest ex-Royal Navy warship is on offer.

HMS Trincomalee, which was built for the admiralty in Bombay, India, in 1817 and is moored at Hartlepool, recently underwent a major restoration programme.

As part of the restoration, copper bolts were removed from the hull of the warship and now the HMS Trincomalee Trust is selling limited edition medals made from the copper.

The medals, commissioned from designer and goldsmith Steven Gregory, are hand cast and all slightly different because the medal has varying amounts of impurities due to nearly two centuries in the sea.

The standard medal depicts the trust's logo and the obverse is engraved 1817 Restored Hartlepool 1990-2000. The special medal is similar and has a finely detailed symbolic border. Both are sold with an information card and presentation box.

It costs £11.50 for the standard medal and £41.50 for the special, inclusive of postage and packaging. All proceeds will directly support the trust's work.

Mr Gregory has also produced a separate medal using the same design as the special medal, but with a silver border. He has presented this unique medal to the trust for auction to assist with their fund raising appeal.

The auction will be held on the ship, on Thursday, October 12, when she celebrates her 183rd birthday.

Sealed bids should be made to the trust together with orders for the limited edition medals.

The trust can be contacted on (01429) 223193