1738-39 Rooswijk Dutch VOC Shipwreck Silver Ingot
Item #CC-1044 | 1738-39 Rooswijk Dutch VOC Shipwreck Silver Ingot
Mint: Potosi, Mexico City & Lima
Assayer: Rampant Goat/Buck Crest – Otto Buck (assayer in Dordrecht from 1731 to 1756)
Ruler/Period: 1738-1739
Grade: Excellent
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Description:
This remarkable silver bar was recovered from the wreck of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship Rooswijk, which sank on the treacherous Goodwin Sands off the coast of England in 1739. It comes with it’s original certificate of authenticity, and is in a wonderful state of preservation.
Between 1602 and 1799, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) established an extensive trading network throughout Asia, transporting valuable spices, textiles, and other exotic goods back to Amsterdam for sale in European markets. However, Dutch merchants faced a significant challenge: European goods were in relatively little demand throughout Asia, while precious metals, particularly silver and gold, were highly sought after. To maintain this lucrative trade, VOC ships regularly departed the Netherlands carrying enormous quantities of gold and silver coins, along with silver bullion bars such as this example.
During the 17th century, the volume of precious metals shipped to Asia increased dramatically. By approximately 1650, annual shipments had stabilized at an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Dutch guilders in gold and silver. Silver bars became an established component of these shipments beginning in 1646.
This particular bar formed part of the valuable cargo aboard the Rooswijk, which was sailing from Texel in the Netherlands to Batavia (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia). Constructed at the Amsterdam shipyard in 1737, the vessel was embarking on only its second voyage to the Dutch East Indies. Under the command of Captain Daniel Ronzieres, the Rooswijk departed on January 8, 1739. Tragically, just one day later, the ship struck the notorious Goodwin Sands off the English coast and sank, taking its precious cargo beneath the waves.
Centuries later, the wreck was discovered by an amateur diver, and a major salvage operation followed in 2004, bringing its long-lost treasures back to the surface. The recovered cargo was subsequently offered for sale, providing collectors with a rare opportunity to acquire authentic VOC silver bullion. In December 2005, a quantity of silver preserved in its original packaging was ceremonially presented to the Dutch Minister of Finance aboard the Dutch frigate De Ruyter.
Today, silver bars recovered from the Rooswijk represent extraordinary surviving artifacts of the Dutch Golden Age of maritime commerce, offering a tangible connection to the vast trading empire of the VOC and the perilous voyages undertaken to carry Europe’s precious metals to the markets of Asia.
In stock
$14,500.00
