Lot 145: NETHERLANDS. Lot of Nine Coins from the Akerandam Wreck

NETHERLANDS. Lot of Nine Coins from the Akerandam Wreck. Includes the following: NETHERLANDS. United Provinces. Utrecht. 1724. AV Ducat // Netherlands. Kampen AR Ducaton. 1661 // Netherlands. Kampen. AR Ducaton. 1668 // Netherlands Utrecht. AR Ducaton. 1680 // Taler of Uncertain origin // 8 Reale Cob of uncertain origin // Cob (uncertain denomination) of uncertain origin // Netherlands. AR 2 Stuivers. 1724 (2 examples). The gold typical of gold from this wreck, virtually as struck but rough and a bit wavy, the large silver coins have been corroded and are porous except for the two 2 Stuivers which are remarkably nice for sea salvage. An interesting lot. 9 coins in lot.

The Akerandam was a Dutch ship which set sail on January 19, 1725, bound for Java, loaded with 19 chests of gold and silver and 200 sailors. Two other shipes were in the convoy but during a storm she drifted away and sank off Runde, at Sunnmøre, on the west coast of Norway. There were no survivors.
The wreck site was close to the shore, and during the summer of 1725 four chests and other parts of the cargo were salvaged, but soon the divers gave up, and the wreck was forgotten.
During the 19th century, locals often found coins at the shore and an oral tradition developed that the coins were be from the Spanish Armada of the 16th century.
The wreck was finally discovered in 1972 by scuba divers Bengt-Olof Gustafsson, Stefan Persson and Eystein Krohn-Dal. Below the bottom vegetation, the sand bottom was littered with encrusted coins. The following year, 1973 the site was investigated by Bergen Sjøfartsmuseum. Little remained of the ship, but more than 500 kg gold and silver was salvaged. In total around 57000 coins were salvaged including 6600 gold coins. The finders were allowed to keep two thirds of the treasure, which was later sold. The Norwegian state received 25% and the Netherlands received 7%..

• Offered By: VAuctions
• Lot #: 145
• Listing #: 190993
• Closed: Thursday, February 10, 2011 8:48:00 PM CT
• Estimate: $300
• Collection: Scandinavian