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(painting by Ralph Curnow) |
From the wreck of the Dutch East Indiaman AKERENDAM, lost with all hands on March 7th, 1725 off Runde Island, Norway
A Special Eleven Coin Presentation Set , featuring a Dutch gold ducat, Dutch silver, and Mexican cobs, a sample of all the trade coins the Akerendam was taking to China
Accompanying the set is an excellent history of the tragic loss and serendipitous recovery of the Akerendam. Bjorn Running's AKERENDAM is one of the best treasure books I've read. Beautifully photographed and well-researched, it is full of historical documents recording the Dutch efforts to salvage the Akerendam's treasure. It is also a superb introduction to the commercial empire the Dutch East India Company had built by the 1720's for trade with the Orient.
The coins in the Presentation Set include a very lustrous mint state 1724 Utrecht ducat--the entire mintage was apparently on the Akerendam--two Mexican eight and one four reales, two Dutch Ryder silver ducatoons, and six mint state Dutch 2 stuivers dated 1724. The silver stuivers were another trade coinage struck especially for the 1725 VOC trade fleet. They, like the two large silver ducatoons (one is dated 1672), did not circulate legally in Holland, but were a for-export-only trade issue.
Dr. Ronning shows a picture of one of the Presentation Set in the book. Different types of set were put together depending on the intended recipient. Some were apparently traditional Presentation Set, designed to be given to high officials etc, while others were sold commercially. The number of sets was small, and since then quite a few sets have been broken up and damaged.
An original AKERENDAM Presentation Set with book, a premier item for shipwreck collectors.
Sold terravitan@aol.com or 480-595-1293
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