2016-09-28 Wed

On October 7th, a 1660 Dutch silver medal would be sold at the Nomos Auction in Zurich. The design on the coin celebrates a shipwreck discovered by a team led by Marcellus van der Goes in Westkapelle, Veere, Zeeland.

The medal measures 70 millimeters and weighs 117.19 grams, almost 4 troy ounces. The obverse features the date 1660 along with the inscription which translates to “Marcel van der Goes gives honor and glory solely to God.” Two salvage boats are depicted on both sides of a shipwreck on which crewmen use special equipment to lift items. A view of the city of Westkapelle can be seen in the background. Experts state that the ship, headed by Captain Waterdrinker drowned some years before the medal was struck.

The reverse features a 14 line inscription within an olive wreath along with the names and arms of the eight directors of the project. The inscription translates to “A memorial of how, by an admirable art, surpassing the inventions of past centuries, under the auspices of the Deputy Councillors of Zeeland and under the direction of Marcellus van der Goes, a great quantity of coined and bullion silver, many precious stones and many cannons were raised up near Walcheren, from a vessel lost, destroyed and sunk in the sands, and then returned to their proper owners.”

This rare medal with a nice toning has an estimate of 3,750 Swiss francs.