Ahoy, Matey

Ahoy mateys! This week we chart the tides where history, mystery, and treasure collide. From King George’s pardon to Henry Every’s legendary heist, the chronicles of piracy still echo across the waves. But the seas aren’t just filled with ghosts of the past — modern-day mysteries like Peg Leg Pete keep us guessing, while pirate festivals from Maine to California invite ye to don yer cutlass and join the revelry. And if ye dare, the cursed medallion of Elizabeth Swann awaits a new master at auction...

⚓ This Week in Pirate History

📜 September 5, 1717 – King George I’s Royal Pardon

With the seas boiling over with piracy in the early 1700s, King George I took a gamble to calm the waters. On September 5, 1717, he issued what became known as “The King’s Pardon” — an offer of amnesty to any pirate who surrendered within a year.

The pardon promised freedom for past crimes, but only if pirates swore off the black flag and returned to honest seafaring. For some, it was a lifeline. Hundreds of buccaneers — including famed captains like Benjamin Hornigold — accepted, trading their cutlasses for pardons sealed with the royal crest.

But many, like Charles Vane and Edward Teach (Blackbeard), only toyed with the Crown’s mercy, using it as a shield while they slipped back into lawlessness. The pardon thinned pirate ranks for a time, but it couldn’t erase the lure of gold and freedom on the high seas.

⚔️ September 7, 1695 – Henry Every’s Great Pirate Raid

On this date, Henry Every pulled off what’s often called the most profitable pirate raid in history. Leading the Fancy, Every and his allies intercepted a massive Mughal convoy of 25 ships in the Arabian Sea, returning from the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Though the convoy was guarded by the heavily armed Ganj-i-Sawai (often described as one of the greatest treasure ships of its time), Every struck with ferocity and cunning. After hours of brutal fighting, he and his crew captured the vessel — seizing untold riches in gold, silver, jewels, and coins.

The haul was so enormous it sparked international outrage. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb nearly declared war on England, and the East India Company scrambled to contain the scandal. Every became the most wanted man in the world, with bounties placed on his head across empires.

Though his treasure vanished into legend, this raid cemented Every’s reputation as the “King of Pirates.”

Pirate Mystery: Does Peg Leg Pete Hold a Pirate’s Ashes?

In Fernandina Beach, Florida, a wooden statue of a pirate known as Peg Leg Pete has long greeted visitors by the waterfront. But now, the city’s plan to replace the deteriorating figure has hit a strange snag—rumor says it may contain human cremains.

A “reliable source” alerted officials that ashes might have been placed inside the nearly 50-year-old statue—possibly during a past restoration. The Historic District Council has paused its decision as the claim is investigated, weighing the possibility of moving Pete to a museum while plans for a new replacement are drawn up.

Joe Brown, president of the local Pirates Club, confirmed the rumor:

“I’ve seen them … They are there,”
but the original carver’s son insists only keepsakes were buried inside, not ashes.

Carved from a single live oak beam in 1978, Pete has been a beloved local icon—but time has not been kind. With cracks, rot, and peeling paint, the city also sees potential safety risks if the statue collapses.

Will Peg Leg Pete remain as a quirky seafaring relic… or becomes a silent vessel of mystery buried beneath wood? Either way, there’s more than moss growing on this salty legend.

👉 Read More

Plunder Pick of the Week — Elizabeth Swann's Cursed Aztec Medallion Necklace

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Do you hear that chime? It’s the fabled Aztec medallion—the one that cursed the Black Pearl, bound Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner in mystery, and launched a saga of pirate gold.

This authentic screen-matched prop, worn by Keira Knightley in the original film, is now up for auction via Propstore. Forged by master propmaker Keir Lusby Props, the medallion replicates skull-and-sun Aztec motifs, complete with a reflective finish and artful distressing to capture centuries of mystery. It hangs from a brass chain with bone-shaped links—a collector’s dream.

Details That Make It Dreaded—and Coveted

• Origins: Crafted specifically for the 2003 Disney swashbuckler that unleashed the pirate film craze.

• Design: Skull-and-sun motif in gold-tone, weathered to a deadly mystique, with film-match blemishes for authenticity.

• Chain: Bone-link brass chain that feels like stolen relic…and looks like it, too.

• Auction Info: Currently set at $42,500 with 7 bids, though estimates range from $12,000–$24,000. Bidding closes on September 4, 2025, 10 AM PDT.

  If I, Captain Blackquill, were to claim this relic of cursed folklore, I’d need the biggest haul yet—or perhaps sell me own seat on the ship—to answer this medallion’s call. But imagine the legend, draped around yer neck in the gloaming fog...

  👉 Claim the Treasure

🗓️ Event Spotlight: Festivals on the Horizon

⚓ Eastport Pirate Festival — Maine’s 20-Year Plunder Party

Dates: September 4–7, 2025
Location: Eastport, Maine

Labor Day weekend transforms Eastport into a pirate stronghold with fiery shows, parades, cannon blasts, and treasure hunts. For twenty years, this fest has been the easternmost—and rowdiest—pirate bash in the U.S.

👉 Festival Details

⚓ Feast of the Pirates Festival — Belville, NC

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Location: Belville Riverwalk Park, NC

A full day of pirate shenanigans awaits: cannon fire, small arms demos, live encampments, comedy skits, games for the sprogs, and grub trucks galore. Belville will thunder with laughter and smoke alike.

👉 Event Page

🗣️ Share the Spoils, Matey!

Know a landlubber who’d love tales of treasure, ghost ships, and real pirate history? Don’t keep the gold to yerself—send ‘em our way!

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Fair winds and full inboxes!

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🎖️ Thanks for Embarkin’ on the Voyage

We set sail every Friday, storm or shine. Keep yer spyglass pointed at the horizon...
and may yer week be full o’ plunder, parlay, and just the right amount o’ mutiny.

Share this letter with yer crewmates, an if ye find treasure or tales worth tell’n, send them to [email protected].

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