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Underwater explorers in Madagascar say they have found what is thought to be the treasure of notorious Scottish pirate William Kidd.

Soldiers on Sainte Marie island have been guarding the 50kg silver bar after divers brought it to shore.

Madagascar's president as well as UK and US diplomats received the suspected treasure at a ceremony on the island.

Capt Kidd was executed in 1701 for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean.

The BBC's Martin Vogl tweets from the ceremony that the respected American underwater explorer Barry Clifford believes the 17th Century silver bar is from the wreckage of the pirate's ship.

Barry Clifford led a team which discovered the suspected treasure Soldiers watched over the silver at a ceremony attended by the president and diplomats The 50kg bar was discovered off Madagascar's coast
Our reporter says there is much excitement in Madagascar about the discovery and Mr Clifford's team has no doubt that the discovery is genuine.

The team believes the bar has its origins in 17th Century Bolivia and that the ship was built in England.

However, there is bound to be scepticism and calls for more proof that the bar was linked to Capt Kidd, our reporter says.

One option would be to take samples of wood from the ship to check whether it came from England, he adds.

In 1984, Mr Clifford found the wreckage of the Whydah, a pirate ship which sank off the US coast in 1717.

UK ambassador to Madagascar Timothy Smart said he hoped that Mr Clifford's latest discovery would raise Madagascar's profile as a tourist destination.

Who was Captain Kidd?

He was thought to be born in Scotland's Greenock or the Dundee area in about 1645, and had been appointed by the Crown to tackle piracy and capture enemy French ships.

In 1698, he looted the Armenian ship the Quedagh Merchant, which was apparently sailing under a French pass.
 There have been numerous searches for William Kidd's loot He appeared before the bar of the House of Commons before his execution
However, the captain of the ship was an Englishman and Capt Kidd was executed in London in 1701.

The Quedagh Merchant had been carrying satins, muslins, gold and silver when she was attacked by Kidd.

It is thought that a large amount of the booty belonged to the British East India Company.

As well as the piracy charges, Capt Kidd was accused of murdering one of his crewmen during a row in 1697.

During Capt Kidd's execution, the first rope put around his neck broke, so he was strung up a second time. That rope also snapped but the third one held.

Capt Kidd's body was dipped in tar and hung by chains along the River Thames to serve as a warning to would-be pirates.

Legend had it that Capt Kidd hid much of his loot, which has prompted numerous treasure hunts around the world and inspired Robert Louis Stevenson when writing Treasure Island.

It would be surprising if it was his ship especially as they found the Adventure prize 8 years ago off the Dominican Republic lol.
And I know that silver is heavy but I'm sorry know matter how I try to believe there is no way in gods earth that that bar of silver weighs 50kg (110lbs) :-\

You do realise they are all giants guarding it and the table seats 12 presumably?

Oh ye, of little faith - it was on the BBC and in my book any organisation that can make the likes of Jimmy Saville an institution, couldn't possibly be guilty of embellish their story.

 ;D ;D ;D

 ;)

28kgs or 1000oz bar pictured 50kgs looks about right to me

Ummm? but the piece they found is a little thinner than that and meant to be 4 times heavier? But on the US news it's already gone down to 45 kg so who knows where it will end lol

But then again it could be spot on ;D this is a Roman lead pig that weighs in at 190 lb and lead isn't a massive amount heavier ???

just under twice as big would make 50 kgs , i see maths is not your strong point chef ;)

No obviously not lol my brain was still in lbs there

not bad if it  was 45kgs would give you a scrap value of around £15000, would not mind finding that under my coil :D

Well my scepticism on this seems to be founded as the "ingot" turned out to be lead ;)

 http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/07/15/03/18/pirate-wreck-claim-false-says-unesco (http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/07/15/03/18/pirate-wreck-claim-false-says-unesco)

Cant kidd me ,I know the captain hid it a cave of Peel where I live...When I am finished looking for Bigfoot in my local plantation,mermaids in Douglas harbour,Aliens in Ramsey and The Loch Ness Monster in Sulby resevoiur....I shall look for the pirates haul  ;D

Well Rob,you certainly got your work cut out with that lot,but that's nothin compared to what the police have to sort out on a Saturday night down here!!LOL!!🚓🚓🚓🛂🛃🚑🚑🚑🚁🚁🚒🍺🍺🍷🍸👍

My mother-in -law caused a world exclusive when she went a swim in Loch Ness where a American T.V. C.O. caught her on tape....She has now taken over from the Daleks as the main reason why people hide behind the sofa when she appears on rude tube ;D

Nice one ROB....LOL👍