L'Invincible was launched in 1744 having been designed by the renowned French naval architect, Pierre Morineau. She weighed an impressive 1,793 tons, had a length of 171 feet and a beam of 49 feet and mounted 28-32 pounders on her gun deck with a further 30-18pounders on her upper deck. Despite her reputation as a formidable fighting ship, she was captured by Admiral Anson in the Battle of Cape Finisterre, 3rd May, 1747 and was to provide the standard template for the Royal Navy's famed '74's for the next hundred years or so. In 1758 she was dispatched to Louisbourg with Admiral Boscowen, however tragedy struck as she was about to embark: She suffered a fouled anchor and a jammed helm and was driven on to Dean Sands where she struggled for two days until she eventually capsized. Her wreck was discovered by fishermen in 1979. Finds from the wreck site were sold in a specialised auction in these rooms on 10th March 1988.