‘We Found Treasure’: 100-Year-Old Bottle of Gin Discovered During Ocean Bed Clean-Up

Among a curious array of seabed litter, divers in Malta uncovered a 100-year-old bottle of gin. (Photo: Jonathan Borg/Times of Malta)

In a remarkable effort to preserve the marine environment in Senglea, Malta, a team of 20 skilled divers embarked on an underwater expedition to retrieve a diverse array of objects littering the seabed, according to the Times of Malta. Among the intriguing finds during the Saturday (which just so happened to be World Gin Day) clean-up was a clay bottle of gin dating back to the 1920s.

According to photographs from the event, the century-old bottle of gin was completely cracked open and, thus, held no booze. However, if it did, we can make a safe guess that it could have been either an Old Tom or London dry gin, considering they were the most popular — if not the only — styles of juniper spirit in the 1920s.

The underwater exploration also yielded an assortment of items, such as vintage walkie-talkies, coins from the 1970s, chairs, tables, tires, ladders, a bicycle and an assortment of glass bottles, jars and cups.

Related: ‘They Were Absolute Professionals’: 1,763-Pound Ball of Craft Gin Stolen From the Bottom of a Swiss Lake

Over 60 dedicated volunteers and the team of divers collaborated tirelessly for more than four hours to retrieve discarded items from the thriving waterfront. The combined efforts were fruitful, as the collective haul was substantial enough to fill two skips, reported the Times of Malta. Notably, the assortment included a handful of mixed coins, including historical Maltese Lira coins.

This endeavor marked the seventh annual Ocean Bed Clean-Up, orchestrated by the QLZH Foundation. This voluntary organization, formed by QuickLets and Zanzi Homes, two real estate companies driven by social impact, aims to raise awareness and promote responsible stewardship of the urban environment.

“The purpose of today was to raise awareness of our urban environment and to take care of it,” expressed Steve Mercieca, co-founder of the QLZH Foundation, per the report.

He emphasized the significance of individual contributions, stating, “If everyone does their part, we’ll get there.”

Discovering a plastic moneybox brimming with coins from the 1970s and 1990s was akin to uncovering a trove of hidden treasures, as conveyed by Mercieca. Additionally, the clean-up event proved to be a source of joy and excitement for families, with children particularly fascinated by the experience, shared the Times of Malta.

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