Researchers Link 400+ Gold Coins Found Offshore to 17th-Century Dutch Ship After 30 Years

In a stunning underwater find near Devon, England, more than 400 gold coins have been linked to their original vessel following three decades of detailed archaeology and historical investigation. The ship has been identified as the Dom van Keulen, a Dutch trading vessel that carried Moroccan gold during the 1600s.

The journey to this identification began in 1995 when divers discovered an unexpected trove of coins and artifacts around 60 feet underwater. The task of connecting these treasures to a specific ship took years of analysis and archival research, combining clues from both the wreck site and historical documents.

The coins, now exhibited at the British Museum, originated from Morocco’s Barbary Coast and were minted using pure West African gold. Alongside the coins, divers retrieved items including gold jewelry, a gold nugget, a fish-shaped sounding weight, pottery, resin-coated pills, faba beans, cannons, anchors, and various fragments of wood, rope, and lead from the hull. The wreck spans roughly 100 feet on the seabed, though none of the initial artifacts definitively revealed the identity of the lost ship.

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An Unassuming Artifact Cracked the Case

The key breakthrough emerged from two seemingly ordinary objects that turned out to hold critical information. Researchers found that a pewter bowl and a spoon recovered from the site were of Dutch manufacture, providing a significant clue. Simultaneously, maritime historian Ian Friel discovered archival records describing a merchant vessel with cargo matching the wreck’s artifacts.

Dave Parham, maritime archaeology professor at Bournemouth University and editor of a new book detailing the findings, stated that the cargo aboard the Dom van Keulen was instrumental in confirming the ship's identity after many years of uncertainty.

“Among its cargo were 150 bags of gum arabic, 64 bags of saltpetre, 320 goat skins, and 9,000 Barbary ducats, gold Moroccan coins,” he noted in a statement. “It is thought that most of the cargo was salvaged at the time, but more than 400 coins remained on the seabed until they were discovered by the South West Maritime Archaeology Group in 1995.”

The initial discovery sparked considerable debate, though mounting archaeological evidence steadily pointed toward a Dutch origin for the wreck.

The Shipment Sheds Light on Historic Trade Networks

Identifying the shipwreck adds context to the extensive trade connections between Morocco and northern Europe in the 17th century. According to the British Museum, Dutch merchants traded manufactured goods from the Netherlands for West African gold channeled through Morocco. This gold was later melted into Dutch coins, serving as a dominant trade currency along maritime routes.

The researchers describe the recovered gold coins as a bullion hoard, offering fresh perspectives on the numismatic history of the era. Additionally, the wreck yielded rare examples of 16th- and 17th-century Moroccan jewelry, which are valuable for historical study.

Parham emphasized the find’s significance in illuminating the wealth and cultural heritage of the Sa’dian Sharifs. It also lends tangible proof of the maritime connections between Morocco, the Low Countries, and Britain.

Piecing Together the Past Over Decades

While the vessel has now been identified, many details about the Dom van Keulen remain elusive. No surviving images or paintings of the ship exist, and researchers rely on the wreck’s footprint to estimate its size and shape.

Jeremy Hill, Head of Research at the British Museum, remarked that the discovery of West African gold so far from its origin prompted many questions regarding its presence off Devon’s coast.

“The discovery of African gold from under the sea off the coast of Devon was an amazing discovery that raised so many questions about how it came to be there,” Hill said. “Answering those questions has taken a team of experts, working collaboratively. The story can now be told of how a Dutch ship carrying North African gold was wrecked off the English coast, making this a discovery of international importance. It reminds us how much there is still to be found under our seas.”

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