It is always so exciting learning of stories about 'sunken treasure'. What amazing detective work revealing data about the life and times of the wreck, and so nice to see cooperative archeologic work between the two nations of Holland and Britain.
The sabres do not have a VOC mark on them, unlike the tableware or other objects on board which were owned by the Dutch East India Company. Additionally, our research has not uncovered any specific link between the highly decorative etched details on the blades and the VOC either. In fact, the designs appear on bladed weapons of this period, throughout Europe and further afield, so we assume they were ‘fashionable’. This, along with the fact that the Rooswijk was a trade vessel, leads us to think that the sabres were trade goods rather than official military issue.
I read some articles and knew there were a few chopmarked coins found from Rooswijk Shipwreck. It means those coins were delivered to Asia and then traded back to the Dutch in the 1700s at some point. Before Rooswijk, no European shipwrecks were found chopmarked coins. Do you have the pictures of these coins? Thanks.
Hi, we are still analysing and working on the artefacts recovered from the Rooswijk wreck. For now, we have made images of selected coins available here: historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/rooswijk-shipwreck-artefacts-film/
Historic England do wonderful work, I hope that it is apriciated !
Thank you!
It is always so exciting learning of stories about 'sunken treasure'. What amazing detective work revealing data about the life and times of the wreck, and so nice to see cooperative archeologic work between the two nations of Holland and Britain.
We agree!
Great work being done by the expert conservation team at Fort Cumberland.
Much appreciated!
How fascinating! Were the sabres used as trade material or to defend themselves with?
The sabres do not have a VOC mark on them, unlike the tableware or other objects on board which were owned by the Dutch East India Company. Additionally, our research has not uncovered any specific link between the highly decorative etched details on the blades and the VOC either. In fact, the designs appear on bladed weapons of this period, throughout Europe and further afield, so we assume they were ‘fashionable’. This, along with the fact that the Rooswijk was a trade vessel, leads us to think that the sabres were trade goods rather than official military issue.
I read some articles and knew there were a few chopmarked coins found from Rooswijk Shipwreck. It means those coins were delivered to Asia and then traded back to the Dutch in the 1700s at some point. Before Rooswijk, no European shipwrecks were found chopmarked coins. Do you have the pictures of these coins? Thanks.
Hi, we are still analysing and working on the artefacts recovered from the Rooswijk wreck. For now, we have made images of selected coins available here: historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/rooswijk-shipwreck-artefacts-film/
Mexico is in NOrth America by the way