Silver Ounce 2020 Vergulde Draeck Shipwreck, Coin from Australia - detailed information

The Australian one ounce silver piece (abbreviated as 1 oz and designated with Ag for "silver") is a bullion and commemorative coin format. Uniquely, in Australia there are two mints authorised to strike legal tender: the Royal Australian Mint (which also makes the country's circulating coinage) and the Perth Mint which only makes collector and bullion coins, as well as other bullion products.

Both mints endeavour to create coins with attractive designs, and to introduce new designs and themes often, in order to raise the numismatic value of the coins over the value of previous metal used.

The 2020 Vergulde Draeck triangular one-ounce silver coin is the second release in the Australian Shipwreck series, following the Batavia release in 2019. The coins were issued in Brilliant Uncirculated grade.

The exquisite design of the reverse conveys two scenes to communicate the journey of the Vergulde Draeck ("Gilt Dragon"). With the image of the ship viewed upright, the Gilt Dragon is shown setting sail in its full glory. Flipping the coin to view the text of "1656" and "Vergulde Draeck" upright depicts the ship in its final state capsized shortly after wrecking in 1656. The obverse design depicts scenes from the dramatic story of the Gilt Dragon before its ultimate demise.

On the morning of 28 April 1656, a VOC ship called the Vergulde Draeck, travelling towards Batavia (now Jakarta) with a load of trade goods, coins, cargo, passengers and crew, struck an uncharted reef off the coast of Western Australia. The reef gutted the ship and only 75 of the crew survived, along with a small quantity of provisions and a single boat.

The under steersman, Abraham Leeman, took the boat and six crew on an astonishing and gruelling journey to Batavia and reported the wreck. Several attempts were made to rescue the survivors, but they were never located. The wreck of the Vergulde Draeck was discovered in 1963 and was excavated in 1972. Some 19,000 coins were recovered, mainly Spanish reals and some Japanese silver coins. The mystery of what became of the survivors of the Vergulde Draeck has never been answered. This was one of the most enigmatic episodes of Australia’s maritime history.