Netherlands East Indies: Dutch Colony. United East India Company "Rooswijk" silver bar of 1973gm ND (1700's), ...
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Dutch Colony. United East India Company "Rooswijk" silver bar of 1973gm ND (1700's), 161x38x31mm. 1973.13gm. XRF scan: 95%. Salvaged from the "Rooswijk" (sunk in 1739 off the Goodwin Sands, Southeast England). With three stamps, the VOC monogram with A (Chamber of Amsterdam) above, and billy goat (assayer/foundry mark) below, assayer's bite on corner. A well-preserved silver ingot, displaying bold, clear stamps that make this piece a fascinating artifact of maritime history. The Rooswijk was an 850-ton cargo ship that set sail from Holland with the Dutch East India Company's Christmas Fleet on January 8, 1739. This was supposed to be its second voyage to the Dutch Indies under Captain Dan Ronzieres, but it was caught by a storm only one day into its voyage. The Rooswijk was hammered into a shallow sand bar and thus lost by the Dutch for over 265 years. In 2004, a Cambridgeshire carpenter was diving on Goodwin Sands and spotted an old wooden wreck complete with intact crates. In the crates, he proceeded to uncover Mexican silver coins, V.O.C ingots, and other historical artifacts. Throughout the next year, an archeological salvage team recovered and identified the lost treasure of the Rooswijk. An estimated 20,000 silver and gold coins, rare Pillar Dollars of Mexico City (1720s-1730s), Cob "Pieces of Eight" (8 Reales), Klippes (1733-1734), silver bars, and other artifacts were successfully salvaged from the site. Today, the Rooswijk is now a protected historical wreck site under United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Dutch legislation that has prevented further salvaging from occurring. These silver bars originate from a fascinating era of global commerce when Dutch demand for Asian goods was exceptionally strong. However, the Dutch had relatively few products that Asian markets desired in return. What was consistently in demand, however, was precious metal—particularly gold and silver. Throughout the 18th century, the VOC (Dutch East India Company) conducted ...
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