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.

Reijgersdaal

Lost: 1747
Location: Dassen Island, South Africa
Coordinates: -33.4200, 18.1000
Era: Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Coinage: milled
Discovered by: South African divers
Recovery: 1979
Cargo: Mexican Pillar dollars, Dutch ducatons, VOC trade goods

VOC East Indiaman wrecked on the notorious Dassen Island reef off the Cape of Good Hope with a full silver cargo for Batavia.

History

Reijgersdaal was outbound to Batavia with 297 people aboard when scurvy devastated her crew near the Cape — roughly 125 died and 83 more were incapacitated before she reached danger. Unable to anchor safely, she struck a reef near Springfontein Point, Dassen Island, on 25 October 1747 and broke apart. Only about 20 of the 297 who sailed from Texel survived the voyage and wreck combined. VOC records list a cargo including chests of silver specie.

Recovery

South African divers Brian Clark and Tubby Gericke located the wreck in March 1979, and a subsequent permitted salvage team recovered bronze cannon, lead ingots, and a studied sample of Mexican Pillar dollars and Dutch ducatons. Material from the wreck is documented in South African museum collections.

Timeline

1747 — Outbound for Batavia — Sails from Texel in May with 297 aboard.
1747 — Scurvy and Wreck — Scurvy kills ~125 near the Cape; the ship breaks apart near Dassen Island on 25 October, leaving only ~20 survivors.
1979 — Rediscovered — Divers Brian Clark and Tubby Gericke locate the site in March.
1980s — Silver Recovered — Pillar dollars and ducatons lifted under permit.

Notes

Dassen Island is one of the most notorious wreck sites on the Cape coast
Yielded a rich sample of mid-18th-century Pillar dollars and Dutch ducatons
Only about 20 of the 297 who sailed from Texel survived, after scurvy killed roughly 125 before the wreck itself