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.

Zuytdorp

Lost: 1712
Location: Zuytdorp Cliffs, Western Australia
Coordinates: -27.2000, 114.0000
Era: Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Coinage: milled
Discovered by: Tom Pepper / Drage family (wreck sighted 1927)
Recovery: 1927
Cargo: Dutch silver ducatons, Silver bars, VOC trade goods

VOC East Indiaman wrecked at the base of towering cliffs on the Western Australian coast with over 250,000 freshly-struck Dutch silver ducatons.

History

The Zuytdorp sailed from the Netherlands in 1711 for Batavia with an unusually heavy cargo of Dutch silver — over 250,000 ducatons, most freshly struck at the Middelburg mint. In June 1712 she struck the base of a 250-metre cliff on the desolate coast of Western Australia. There were survivors: campfires and artifacts along the cliff-top show that men lived for some time on the shore, but their ultimate fate is unknown.

Recovery

Wreckage and silver were found on the cliffs and beaches in 1927 by a group including the stockman Tom Pepper and members of the Drage family — that is a discovery date, not a recovery date. The site sits beneath sheer cliffs with no boat access, and systematic salvage only began after the wreck was properly identified in the 1960s, with the main Western Australian Museum work running from roughly 1964 into the early 1980s. Ducatons of Zeeland, Utrecht, and Overijssel are the numismatic hallmark of the wreck.

Timeline

1711 — Departs Vlissingen — Sails for Batavia with a heavy silver cargo.
1712 — Wrecked at Zuytdorp Cliffs — Strikes the base of the WA cliffs; survivors reach shore.
1927 — Coins Found on Beach — Stockman Tom Pepper finds silver on the coast.
1960s–Present — WA Museum Work — Ducatons and ingots recovered under difficult conditions.

Notes

Wreck sighted in 1927 when silver was found on the cliffs; salvage only began in the 1960s
The 250-metre cliffs made recovery almost impossible for decades
Carried over 250,000 fresh Dutch ducatons