He added that the gutta percha, which would have been stored as cargo, could have been released during a salvage operation.
BBC: Shipwrecked gutta percha blocks wash up in South West
The gutta percha balls once belonged to golfing legend Old Tom Morris, who won the Open four times in the 1860s.
BBC: Quiz of the week's news
The pieces of gutta percha have been found on beaches in Cornwall, Devon, northern France and the Netherlands in the last year.
It added that gutta percha was used to make golf balls, teddy bear noses and decorative items such as picture frames and jewellery.
In 1848, feather balls were replaced by gutta-percha balls made from the gum of a Malaysian tree.
WSJ: Collecting: Mementos of a Gentleman's Game | The Jaime Ortiz-Pati?o Collection
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