Among the vast quantities of coinage that the VOC shipped to Asia, one specific group of Dutch silver coins was collectively reffered to as “payement”,
Explore the legal framework surrounding Australian shipwreck artifacts, with a focus on recent enforcement actions involving Zuytdorp coins. An important read for collectors of material from protected Dutch shipwrecks!
Discover the shocking story behind one of the largest shipwreck coin scams in modern times. This article exposes how Gulfstream Rarities flooded the market with fake Bredenhof duits and other shipwreck coins — deceiving collectors worldwide. Learn how to spot these forgeries and protect yourself.
This set features gold ducats recovered from three VOC shipwrecks: De Liefde, Akerendam, and Vliegenthart. Minted for trade with the East, these coins were lost at sea before entering circulation. Their recovery sheds light on the VOC’s maritime history and the role of gold coinage in early Dutch overseas expansion.
Diver Macgregor Sullivan recovered artifacts from the Dutch East Indiaman De Lastdrager in the Bluemull Sound. As the tide pulled him deeper, his detector signaled musket balls and a cannon. Most striking was a pool of mercury, its reflective surface revealing Sullivan’s own image beneath the centuries-old wreck.
In 1770, the Dutch East Indiaman Leimuiden sank off Boa Vista, taking with it a rare cargo of VOC-made gold bars. Centuries later, only one was ever recovered—an 18-karat, 4.92 kg bar, unique in its history. Briefly displayed in a Dutch museum in 2000, it was stolen and never seen again.
In 1656, the VOC ship Vergulde Draeck ran aground off the west coast of Australia, carrying a valuable cargo of silver coins. While 75 crew members survived the wreck, their fate remains unknown. Despite rescue efforts and later discoveries of artifacts, the ship’s story is still one of Australia’s greatest maritime mysteries.
Uncover the fascinating story of the Bom Jesus, a 16th-century Portuguese shipwreck discovered off Namibia, its treasure trove of coins, and the mysteries surrounding its final voyage.
The 1719 wreck of the Loosdrecht reveals a story of maritime tragedy, rare coin recoveries, and the enduring efforts of diver Martin Woodward to uncover its hidden past.
The VOC ship Merestein met its end off the South African coast in 1701, carrying a valuable cargo of silver intended for trade in the East Indies. Though early recovery efforts failed, modern salvage operations have uncovered thousands of silver coins, shedding light on the VOC’s global trading legacy.