Are Dark Tide Relics shipwreck coins authentic?

Every shipwreck coin and artifact sold by Dark Tide Relics is authenticated and accompanied by provenance documentation from recognized authorities such as the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society, NGC, or PCGS, plus a permanent digital provenance record via TreasureCheck.ai.

Which shipwrecks does Dark Tide Relics specialize in?

Dark Tide Relics curates artifacts from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha (1622), Santa Margarita, the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet, El Cazador (1784), SS Central America (1857), Maravillas, Concepción, and other documented Spanish colonial and American Gold Rush wrecks.

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All orders ship via FedEx, fully insured and with adult signature required on delivery.

Does Dark Tide Relics buy shipwreck coins from collectors?

Yes. Dark Tide Relics actively acquires authenticated shipwreck coins and collections. Submissions can be made through the Sell Coins program at darktiderelics.com/sell-coins.

HMS Assurance

Lost: 1753
Location: The Needles, Isle of Wight, England
Coordinates: 50.6600, -1.5900
Era: British Royal Navy Losses
Coinage: milled
Discovered by: Sport divers
Recovery: 1974
Cargo: Ship's ordnance and ironwork

Royal Navy frigate wrecked on the Needles at the western end of the Isle of Wight in a heavy fog.

History

HMS Assurance was a 44-gun fifth-rate returning from Jamaica when her captain attempted a shortcut through the Needles channel rather than the safer route around it, striking the outer rock on 24 April 1753. No lives were lost. Aboard was Edward Trelawny, former Governor of Jamaica, returning to England.

Recovery

Divers located the site, which was designated a Protected Wreck in 1974. Recovered material includes cannon and ship's fittings; the site is physically intermingled with the later wreck of HMS Pomone (1811), and no cargo manifest or coin shipment has been documented for this voyage.

Timeline

1753 — Returning from Jamaica — Homeward-bound, with former Jamaica Governor Edward Trelawny aboard.
1753 — Wrecked on the Needles — Runs onto the outer rock on 24 April attempting a channel shortcut; no lives lost.
1974 — Site Designated — The Needles wreck site is protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act.

Notes

No lives were lost when Assurance wrecked at the Needles
Lost while her captain attempted a shortcut through the Needles channel
The site is physically intermingled with the later wreck of HMS Pomone