In 1807, a ship was seized by the British navy, the crew jailed and the cargo taken. Archivists just opened the packages.

The red sweater appears as if it was purchased yesterday – but it's been more than 200 years since the handmade gift has seen the light of day. 

Archivists opened parcels from the Anne-Marie cargo ship, which was seized by the British Navy during the Second Battle of Copenhagen, Thursday at the National Archives in the United Kingdom. Along with the sweater, the archivists opened parcels containing fabric samples, stockings, silver coins and other items from the beleaguered ship.

But none were as unique as the surviving sweater, the archivists said, "This is a rare example of a parcel surviving in the Prize Papers, which often contain letters consigned to ships for delivery by sea," said Dr. Amanda Bevan of the National Archives.