LLoyds of London

[songanddance]

Does anyone know if they still ring the bell on the trading floor of LLoyds when a ship sinks?

[Lanky Lad]

Yes, as far as I know they do still ring the bell, see below.

 

Lutine Bell

For more than a century, the Lutine bell has been synonymous with Lloyd's.

Rung traditionally to herald important announcements to underwriters and brokers in the Room - one stroke for bad news and two for good - it is recognised throughout the world as the symbol of an organisation whose fortunes are linked inextricably with natural and man-made catastrophes.

The bell was carried originally on board the French frigate La Lutine which surrendered to the British in 1793. Six years later, as HMS Lutine, carrying a cargo of gold and silver bullion, she sank off the Dutch coast. The cargo, valued then at around one million pounds, was insured by Lloyd's underwriters who paid the claim in full.