This 3.5 gram gold coin was obtained from the Akerendam shipwreck off the coast of the Norwegian island of Runde. The Akerendam was a Dutch vessel which set sail from the Netherlands on Jan. 19, 1725. Akerendam was a part of the Dutch merchant fleet, headed for Batavia (Indonesia) loaded w/gold and silver coins to be used for the trade of spices in the Far East as part of The Dutch East India Company. The ship was caught in a storm in the North Sea, and the Akerendam went down, w/the loss of its entire crew of 200. The wreck site was close to the shore, and during the summer of 1725 four chests and other parts of the cargo were salvaged. Divers later gave up, and the wreck was forgotten. Locals often found coins at the shore during the 19th Century, but their origin had been forgotten. The wreck was discovered in 1972. Little remained of the ship, but more than 1,100 lb. of gold and silver was salvaged. In total about 57,000 coins were found - 6,600 of them being gold coins (mostly the rare 1724 Dutch Gold Ducat minted in Utrecht w/only a handful known prior to this find), and the rest silver coins. This example is well-centered and w/full legends depicting an armored warrior w/sword and arrows in hand on the obverse w/a tablet w/a Latin inscription on reverse. The coin is in amazing condition, belying its nearly 250 years under the North Sea. From the Robert M. Overstreet Collection and comes with COA.