In 1994, the remains of a 17th-century shipwreck were discovered by divers off Salcombe Bay. The finds consisted of 400 gold coins of the Sa’dian sharifs of Morocco in addition to ingots, jewellery as well as other items including Dutch pewter and pottery - the majority of which are now in the British Museum collection. Although the ship does not survive in its entirety, divers discovered remnants of wood, rope and lead that were parts of its infrastructure. This finds from this shipwreck are significant for several reasons: the gold is clearly a bullion hoard and the number of Sa’dian coins offer great insight into the numismatic history of the period. In addition, such pieces of 16th-17th century Moroccan jewellery from this period rarely survive in datable contexts. Alongside these gold objects are objects which provide a fascinating insight into everyday life on board ship, including crockery, sea sickness pills, beans and copper coins.
Whilst there was much debate at the time of discovery about the origin and identity of the ship, it became clear from analysis of the objects that a Dutch origin was most likely. Research undertaken for this publication has revealed the likely identity of the ship – the Dom van Keulen, a Dutch trading ship which is reported to have sunk off the coast of Salcombe in 1633. This book therefore not only offers a detailed record of the find and the objects recovered, but also provides tangible evidence of a flourishing maritime trade in the 17th century, connecting Morocco, the Low Countries and Britain.
In 1994, the remains of a 17th-century shipwreck were discovered off Salcombe Bay. The finds consisted of 400 gold coins of the Sa’dian sharifs of Morocco in addition to ingots, jewellery and other items including Dutch pottery. The book presents these finds for the first time and reveals the identity of the Dutch trading ship - the Dom van Keulen.
