Shipwreck Coin from the Shipwreck of the Admiral Gardner in 1809 (Encapsulated)

The coin is dated 1808 and comes encapsulated as shown. Coin was minted in Birmingham, England for use by the East India Company in the Madras Presidency. Coin includes an official Admiral Gardner COA for authenticity purposes.

On January 25, 1809, the Admiral Gardner set sail through the English Channel, headed for India. Shortly into the journey, a sudden and violent storm hit the Channel just off Dover. Captain William John Eastfield and his crew tried desperately to ride out of the storm, but the mighty ship eventually succumbed. It ran aground on the Goodwin Sands and, by the next morning, had sunk, claiming the precious coin cargo and the lives of four crew members.

The coins were minted in Birmingham, England for use by the East India Company in the Madras Presidency. The obverse of each coin bears the East India Company arms. The motto underneath translates to read, "Under the Patronage of the King and Parliament of England." The reverses of the "tens" and "twenties" are inscribed in Persian and translate, the respectively, to read, "Ten Cash are equal to Two Falus" and "Twenty Cash are equal to Four Falus."

Due to the uniqueness of each item, please refer to the photos provided in this auction. We offer high resolution images of each item rather than a written description of condition.

This item is being shipped from the Pristine Auction warehouse.