1734 Silver rider shipwreck coin

goingbroke

I picked this 1734 Dutch Silver rider (ducatoon) up from the head of the group that salvaged the wrecked ship called the tVliegent Hart. The salt water shipwreck damage is typical of old silver coins that have been on the bottom of the sea for long times. Vliegenthart (or tVliegent Hart), sunk in 1735 off Zeeland, the Netherlands

The East Indiaman Vliegenthart (“Flying Hart” in Dutch) had just departed Rammekens for the East Indies when the deadly combination of a northeast gale, a spring tide and pilot error sent her into a sand bank behind her sister-ship Anna Catharina. The latter ship broke apart in the storm while the Vliegenthart, damaged and firing her cannons in distress, slipped off the bank and sank in 10 fathoms of water. All hands on both ships were lost.

Contemporaneous salvage under contract with the Dutch East India Company was unsuccessful, but it did provide a piece of evidence—a secret map—that did not emerge from obscurity until 1977. Stemming from that, divers under the former London attorney Rex Cowan discovered the wreck in 1981, and in 1983 they found their first coins, one of three chests of Mexican silver and Dutch gold coins (totaling 67,000 guilders or dollar-sized units) for the East India trade aboard the Vliegenthart. The second chest was smashed on the seabed and its contents partially salvaged, while the third chest, intact like the first, came up in 1992. The divers also recovered several smaller boxes of large Dutch silver coins known as “ducatoons,” illegally exported and therefore contraband. Among the silver coins found were thousands of Mexican cobs, predominantly 8 reales, many with clear dates in the early 1730s and in excellent condition.

PerryHall

Nice coin but I'm not sure why you posted this on the PM forum since it's probably worth a lot more than silver value.

goingbroke

Silver is silver! old silver worth just as much as new. But be careful, Should you then be impelled to purchase a shipwreck coin, you will risk sinking into the debris field of shipwreck sagas where the winds of enthusiasm can tear the canvas of your budget from the main mast of your bank account!

goingbroke

Secret treasure was not the concern of the Master of the tVliegent Hart, a trading vessel of the Dutch East India Company, sailing from the province of Zeeland on the afternoon of February 3, 1735.
She and a somewhat smaller ship, the Anna Catharina, were bound for the Far East.

These were trading vessels, not pirate ships.

Although a strong northeast gale was building offshore, and dangerous sandbars crowded their course to the open sea, the two ships pressed on.

The Trading
Trade between Holland and her Dutch East Indies possessions was a matter of high risk, and often, higher profit. The trading model was fairly straightforward: Dutch merchant ships sailed from Holland to the Far East with money, based on the “Demand of India”, a summary of needed funds assembled by the Governor-General in the Dutch East Indies trading port of Batavia. Upon arrival, the money was exchanged for goods to meet European demand.
The Money
The money carried by ships such as tVliegent Hart was trade coinage – silver eight reale pieces originally coined in Mexico, and gold trade ducats struck in Holland. These were carefully packed into chests wrapped in canvas and bound with iron straps. Traditionally these chests were stored in the Master’s cabin at the stern of the ship.
And the secret treasure? Keep reading…

The Loss
The captain and crew of tVliegent Hart were no doubt anxious to proceed with their venture. Sadly, both ships grounded on the sand bars on the evening of their departure -- and beaten to pieces by the rising seas. Witnesses on the pilot boat Mercurius later recalled tVliegent Hart firing her cannon in distress before breaking up. She sunk with all hands.
The Salvage
Salvage attempts commenced soon after the sinking, and throughout 1735 and 1736. Contemporary salvage technology varied in sophistication, but after two years only a few scattered coins were found.
Fast forward to 1979, when late 20th century science was applied to the tVliegent Hart wreck…

Supported by advanced technology, including proton magnetrometry and side-scan sonar, Rex Cowan (who also salvaged the Hollandia) relocated the wreck.

Over a period of years much was recovered.

In 1990 the large trade coinage chests were found, containing pieces of eight and gold ducats in excellent condition.

And… The Surprise
The more intriguing find was contained in smaller, odd shaped boxes, found in other parts of the ship. These boxes – likely the personal property of crew members – contained uncirculated silver ducatoons dated 1734.
The ducatoon (also known as a “silver rider” displayed a mounted knight on a rampant horse upon its obverse side, with an elaborate coat-of-arms upon its reverse side.

This was a coin legal in Holland only – not legal for shipment to the Far East, where a thriving black market in these coins existed. Worth 66 stuivers in Holland, these coins could be exchanged for up to 75 stuivers in Batavia.

So... the secret treasure!

The opportunity to make nearly 14% on funds thus invested was too good to pass up for many of the crew, officers, and reputedly, directors of the Dutch East India Company.

While this illicit trade was long suspected, the salvage of this secret treasure of silver rider coins confirmed the rumor as fact.

CoinCrazyPA

Can you explain the ship wreck affect on a silver coin. Does the surface of the coin become more porous?

goingbroke

<< <i>Can you explain the ship wreck affect on a silver coin. Does the surface of the coin become more porous? >>

My understanding is that shallower seawater sites, with a mostly sand or silica seabed, have a highly acidic environment. This acidic environment, combined with a more turbulent environment, causes damage to the silver coins in the form of corrosion and/or "sandblasting" from the surrounding sand. In general, shipwreck gold coins are actually in better condition than non-shipwreck coins, especially Mint State coins. If you had unlimited resources and wanted to create a collection of Type 1 Double Eagles that were all the finest known or even condition census for each date and mint, you would have no choice but to include coins from these shipwrecks. 1857-S coins have been graded as high as MS67 by PCGS! As for the SS Republic, an 1865 Philadelphia graded MS66* (star designation) by NGC! The silver rider I have shows the salt water effects after all, my coin sat on the sea bottom since 1735!. I bought it primarily as a conversational piece and its cool to hold history in your hand. Coins like mine go for between $200-$375 on E Bay so they are not that expensive to own. The gold coins though go for many thousands of dollars.