A pair of mudlarks have discovered a medal thought to be a memento from the 1872 Boat Race in the River Thames.
The 1872 race was notable for being held in some of the worst weather conditions that saw crews race amid a snow storm.
Mudlarks Tom Chivers and Nicola White found the trinket in the Thames at Southwark, embedded in a concretion of rusting iron.
They noted the medallion bears a coat of arms representing both Oxford and Cambridge universities.
The words, ‘University Boat Race’ and ‘Putney to Mortlake’ were on one side of it, and the year ‘1872’ was on the other.
The Boat Race is known as one of the world’s most famous amateur sporting events, spanning 185 years of rivalry.
Since 1829, it has seen men from Oxford and Cambridge universities compete against each other on the Thames, with the first women’s race happening in 1927.
The Illustrated London News said of the 1827 race: "Crowds failed to materialise on the handy vantage point of Hammersmith Bridge, and the whole event was dismal, partly because of the appalling weather, but also because of a certain failure of spirit all round."
Upon finding the medal, Oxford alumni Mr Chivers said: “It’s kind of fascinating to think of people from 150 years ago having merchandise from this famous boat race.”
Ms White suggested the owner of the souvenir was unable to hold on to it because of the chilly weather, causing it to slip from their fingertips and fall into the river.
The pair documented the find on a post to Ms White’s YouTube channel about mudlarking.
The London tradition is centuries-old and has seen individuals search the riverbed for various historical treasures.
Some of the most common have included clay pipes, bits of tile and old coins.
Those who take part in mudlarking require a Thames foreshore permit from the Port of London Authority.
