British Virgin Islands Ships: HMS Nymph - 2022 Virenium® $1 Coin - BVI

HMS Nymph was commissioned in May 1778 under Commander William Denne and served in the English Channel. She came under Commander John Blankett in January 1779 and sailed for the East Indies on 8 March that year to join Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes' East India fleet. Her role was to protect English interests and island inhabitants from French and American privateers and her duties included protecting interests in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras and serving as an escort to East India merchant convoys. In January 1780 she came under Commander William Stevens and she remained in the East Indies until 1782, during which time Commander John Sutton took over. HMS Nymph returned to Britain later in the year and was refitted and re-coppered at Plymouth between August and October 1782. Commander Richard Hill then took command, and Nymph sailed for the Leeward Islands on 5 December to join Admiral Hugh Pigot and Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, of the Lesser Antilles squadron. While at Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, a fire broke out on 28 June 1783. The crew abandoned the ship and she burnt out and sank in Road Town's harbour, with the loss of three men. In February 1969, dredging in Road Town harbour revealed the remains of the "Nymph". Artefacts were removed, but no archaeological survey or site excavation was conducted. The location of the wreck was subsequently lost for many years and remains a mystery.