Spanish Netherlands (Brabant) 1655 Silver Dukaton ex Zuytdorp shipwreck VH 642.BS Very Fine
| We Last Sold This Item For: | $3,500.00 |
|---|---|
| Last Sold On: | 15/6/2021 |
| # Sold In Past 12 Months: | 0 |
Spanish Netherlands (Brabant-Brussels) 1655 Silver Dukaton ex Zuytdorp shipwreck 642.BS Very Fine
Obverse: Felipe IV to right, date above and legend around
Obverse Legend: PHIL. IIII. D. G. HISP. ET. INDIAR REX. 1655
Reverse: Coronate shield between lions, legend around
Reverse Legend: .ARCHID. AVST. DV-X. BVRG. BRAB. Zc.
Diameter: | Weight: 31.8452g
Australian Commonwealth Government Artefact Number: 53065
This is a bold example of the wealth held in the Zuytdorp Captain's Hold.
Of the four shipwrecks found off the West Australian coast that have yielded coins available for collectors (Batavia, Gilt Dragon, Zuytdorp and the Rapid), the coins from the Zuytdorp are unequivocally the most difficult to obtain.
There are fewer coins from the Rapid known in private hands, but it seems that the Zuytdorp coins are very tightly held - the number seen at auction over the past decade or so could be counted on one hand quite easily.
There are a number of reasons why the coins from the Zuytdorp are of interest to collectors:
- The story of the Zuytdorp's journey is just incredible - nearly half those on board had died before they reached Cape Town - the rest disappeared in the wreck just a few months later;
- The 6 stuivers (shillings) from Zeeland dated 1711 that were recovered are the only such coins available to collectors anywhere in the world - the entire mintage was on board when the Zuytdorp when it sank;
- The Zuytdorp sank in what is arguably one of the most inhospitable sections of the Australian coastline - not only is it at least 70 kilometres from the nearest road, the cliffs rise at least 30 metres above the rocky shore, and are pounded by massive waves nearly every day of the year.
Although coins recovered from the Zuytdorp are incredibly rare in private hands, when divers first reported seeing them within the wreck, they said the scene looked like "...a carpet of silver...".
Manifest records from the Chamber of Zeeland showed that 100,000 Guilders were struck by the Zeeland Mint - a combination of 6 stuiver and 2 stuiver coins.
A much smaller number of coins were held separately from the main cargo of coins struck by the Zeeland Mint, in the Captain's hold.
Coins from the Captain's hold were being transported for a different purpose to the main cargo of precious metals, and have an exclusive appeal, even within the already rare population of coins recovered from this historic shipwreck.
This particular example shows great details both sides, and doesn't exhibit the loss of metal or encrustation seen on so many ex-wreck coins.
SKU: 209121
Browse our catalog of Zuytdorp Shipwreck Coins below:
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