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.

Loosdrecht

Lost: 1719
Location: Isle of Wight, England
Coordinates: 50.5800, -1.3000
Era: Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Coinage: milled
Discovered by: Martin Woodward
Recovery: 1979
Cargo: Dutch and Spanish colonial silver, Ship's cannon and fittings

VOC East Indiaman wrecked off the Isle of Wight only a week into her third outbound voyage to Batavia — not, as sometimes stated, lost at sea off southern Africa.

History

Loosdrecht was built in 1714 for the VOC's Amsterdam chamber and had already completed two round trips to Ceylon. She departed Texel on 14 January 1719 under Captain Willem Dekker on her third outbound voyage, bound once again for the East. Barely a week later, on 21 January 1719, she ran aground and was lost off the Isle of Wight, England — not, as some later accounts have claimed, somewhere between the Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean. No confirmed casualty or survivor figure for the voyage has been located.

Recovery

The wreck was located off the Isle of Wight in 1979/80 by diver Martin Woodward and identified through associated artifacts, cannon, and archival cross-referencing rather than a surviving nameplate. The site's long-term salvor reports no confirmed larger specie cargo found despite extensive searching; recovered material is chiefly scattered Dutch and Spanish colonial coin. Reports around 2001 alleged illegal, unlicensed removal of material from the site.

Timeline

1714 — Built at Amsterdam — Constructed for the VOC's Amsterdam chamber.
1719 — Departs Texel — Sails 14 January on her third outbound voyage to Batavia.
1719 — Wrecked at the Isle of Wight — Runs aground and is lost on 21 January, only a week into the voyage.
1979/80 — Located by Martin Woodward — Wreck identified off the Isle of Wight.

Notes

Wrecked off the Isle of Wight barely a week into her third outbound voyage — not lost off southern Africa as sometimes claimed
Identified by diver Martin Woodward in 1979/80 through artifacts and archival cross-referencing, not a surviving nameplate
No confirmed large specie cargo has been recovered despite extensive searching