The Royal Mail Steamer Douro was a popular choice among the wealthy to travel from South America to England via Portugal. It was known for hauling mail, newspapers and precious cargo.

After departing from Lisbon, en route to Southampton, a collision occurred with the Spanish steamer Yrurac Bat. Both ships sunk in the early hours of 2 April 1882.

The search for the wreckage of the Douro began in 1949, though the wreck was not discovered until the 1990s, when the salvage operation began to retrieve the precious cargo once lost in the wreck, including a number of gold Sovereigns.