The Shipwreck Corner

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I haven't posted any shipwreck items lately and this turned up about a week ago.
It commemorates the loss of the SS Gairsoppa in WW2 and the recovery of her cargo in 2012. It came in a nice wooden box with a COA, descriptive leaflet and a letter from the Chairman of the Merchant Navy Association.







The Sunken Treasure of the SS Gairsoppa: From Wartime Loss to Modern Relic
The history of the SS Gairsoppa silver bars is a story spanning a global war, maritime tragedy, and technological triumph. The original ingots were minted at His Majesty's Mint in Bombay (Mumbai) around 1940-1941, intended to bolster the British war effort and supply the Royal Mint for coinage. In February 1941, the unarmed merchant steamship, separated from its convoy while en route from India to Liverpool, was torpedoed by a German U-boat (U-101) off the coast of Ireland, sinking to a depth of nearly three miles. This loss, which included 3.2 million ounces of silver, was the heaviest single loss of precious metal for Britain during WWII. The Convoy number was SL 64.

For 70 years, the massive silver cargo lay untouched until the wreck was located in 2011. The subsequent salvage operation by Odyssey Marine Exploration between 2012 and 2013 was record-breaking, recovering almost 100 tons of silver using highly advanced, deep-sea robotics. Once on the surface, the majority of the original HM Mint Bombay ingots—too large for the typical investor—were melted down. This historic silver was then refined and re-minted, beginning in 2012, into smaller, more accessible items, most notably the 10-ounce commemorative bars. This modern bar was struck by the London Mint and came with a nice wooden case, explanatory leaflet and COA. There were two issues minted, in the previous year (2012) 4700 were minted but this one was minted with the Merchant Navy Flag privy mark with a much smaller issue of 499. I particularly wanted a Merchant Navy issue so was pleased with this. It was bought at a price around $300 less than the original issue which of course confirms you don't buy these commemoratives for any hope of investment unless of course you have struck lucky recently with gold. The current gold price probably means more misfortune with items heading for the melting pot.

 

Wonderful thread! The shipwreck theme cuts across many different coins from different eras.

I'm sorry that I didn't post sooner, so here are a couple of ducatons from the Vliegenthart.

Netherlands, Gelderland
Two ducatons salvaged from the Vliegenthart (1735) 32.6 grams left and 32.5 grams right.


Plus a "biscuit" from the Vliegenthart.

Vliegenthart (1735) "biscuit", encrusted Netherlands ducaton.
48.55 grams; 46mm diameter.

 

This is a coin from a seldom-encountered shipwreck. We never find its coins in the fantastic condition of those recovered from well-known wrecks like the Vliegenthart, Hollandia, or De Liefde. Compare to @robinjojo's beautiful examples from the Vliegenthart.






UNITED PROVINCES, FRIESLAND, escalin (snaphaanschelling), 1623. D/ Shield on a fleur-de-lis cross. R/ Galloping rider left, brandishing his saber. Verk. 128.2; Delm. 800. 5.49 g. With certificate.

From the wreck of the Lastdrager, a flute ship of the French East India Company (VOC) that sank on March 2, 1653, off the Shetland Islands while sailing around Scotland to Batavia. The wreck was found in 1972 by Robert Sténuit northeast of the island of Yell. It was subsequently excavated by the GRASP team, who recovered 500 silver coins, most of them in very poor condition.
Ex Jean Elsen 2025.

I am trying to assemble a collection of at least one coin from every readily available shipwreck. I have managed to acquire many duplicates from the Association, Hollandia, Liefde and a few others. Hopefully I will be able to trade them in the future. I managed to do this, not by choice, buy by placing multiple "low ball" bids in a number of auctions hoping to acquire one but sometimes being unusually successful compared to my same strategy with Ancients which doesn't work very often.