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.

How are orders shipped?

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.

Campen

Lost: 1627
Location: The Needles, Isle of Wight, England
Coordinates: 50.6600, -1.5900
Era: Spanish Colonial – Mid-17th Century
Coinage: cob
Discovered by: Royal Navy divers / sport divers
Recovery: 1979
Cargo: Spanish silver reales, Silver ingots, VOC trade goods

VOC East Indiaman lost on The Needles at the Isle of Wight while outbound from Texel to Batavia with silver bullion for the Asian trade.

History

The Campen sailed from Texel in October 1627 as part of the VOC's autumn convoy to the East Indies, carrying chests of Spanish silver reales — the standard hard currency the Dutch used to buy Asian goods. In heavy weather she was wrecked at the western end of the Isle of Wight against the chalk stacks known as The Needles. Contemporary English salvors made an immediate attempt, and the loss became a minor diplomatic issue between the Dutch Republic and the English crown.

Recovery

The wreck was rediscovered in the 1970s by Royal Navy divers and later worked by licensed sport-diving teams under the UK Protection of Wrecks Act. Recoveries have included Spanish silver reales and VOC-marked silver ingots; no mercury cargo is documented for this wreck.

Timeline

1627 — Departs Texel — Sails with VOC autumn convoy carrying silver east.
1627 — Wrecked at The Needles — Driven onto chalk stacks off the Isle of Wight.
1627 — English Salvage — Contemporary salvors recover part of the silver.
1979 — Rediscovered by Navy Divers — Modern location of the wreck field.
1980s–Present — Licensed Recovery — Silver reales and VOC ingots recovered under UK licence.

Notes

Carried Spanish reales and Dutch lion dollars — no mercury cargo is documented
One of the earliest documented VOC losses on English shores
Silver reales aboard were mostly Mexico City cobs of Philip III