Product Description
This coin is a genuine treasure coin that was recovered from a ship that sank nearly 200 years ago! It is in remarkable condition because it was preserved at the bottom of the sea for nearly 200 years!
In January 1809, a trading ship named the Admiral Gardner left England for Bengal, India. The Admiral Gardner was a East Indiaman, one of the tall sailing ships that sailed the trade routes between England and India in the 18th and 19th centuries. On board the ship was a hoard of newly minted coins that were to be delivered to the British East India Company. These copper coins were struck by the Soho Mint in Birmingham, England, and most were the famous 10 Cash denomination. The copper used in the coins actually contains some silver. Each of the coins bears the date 1808. One side shows the arms of the British East India Company (two rampant lions with a shield between them; the Latin inscription on the ribbon under the lions means. Under the patronage of the King and Parliament of England and the inscription East India Company, while the other side features an inscription (Ten Cash are equal to Two Falus) and a large X (Roman 10) that denotes the denomination of 10 Cash. These coins were legal tender for use in India. The Admiral Gardner never made it to India, however. A sudden storm developed off the coast of England, and the ship sank on the treacherous Goodwin Sands. The coins were supposedly lost forever but in 1985 the wreck was discovered and some of the treasure coins were recovered.
The coins were stored in wooden casks, and they were preserved by the cold water and thick mud. The coin offered here is one of the finest 10 cash coins from the wreck of the Admiral Gardner. It is about 7/8 in diameter and is displayed in a custom coin wallet with a Certificate of Authenticity and information about the shipwreck and the coin.
