Blackbeard Exhibit Now on Display

Leave it to Blackbeard to make off with his own treasure even as his flagship was no longer of any use.

The revered pirate, whom many people believe was a man named Edward Teach, lost his favorite ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, when it ran aground off the coast of North Carolina in the early 18th Century. But because the ship merely hit rocks, instead of sinking, the pirate captain and his crew had ample time to get away with whatever they could carry, which was probably jewels, gold, and other lightweight items — including the legendary guns, cutlass, and matches to light his hair on slow-burn fire.

The rest of it is now on display at the North Carolina Maritime Museum. Among the items to be shown are cannons, lead shots, bells, anchors, and much more, about 300 items in all. The curiosity factor alone will be enough to get many people in the doors of the museum, which plans to leave the items on permanent display.

One of the more prominent items on display will be the large anchor just plucked from the depths. Weighing 3,000 pounds and measuring 13 feet long and 16 feet wide, the anchor was a particular target of the salvage crew.

The display will no doubt benefit as well from the popularity of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, in which both Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge feature prominently.