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Thursday, 23 January 2020

1212) The ill-fated ship "Batavia", Australia: "Australian Shipwreck Coin Series": The first Gold 100 Dollars Triangular shaped Bullion Coin minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2019:

1212) The ill-fated ship "Batavia", Australia: "Australian Shipwreck Coin Series": The first Gold 100 Dollars Triangular shaped Bullion Coin minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2019:


In collaboration with LPM, the Royal Australian Mint has brought out a new Coin Series titled - "Australian Shipwrecks".

For the first time in bullion, this Coin Series will feature coins that are triangular-shaped in design/size

The first coin in the series features the ill-fated Batavia, the second oldest ship-wreck in Australia, which is depicted on these magnificent gold and silver triangular bullion coins

Four coins in all  will be presented/issued in this Coin Series. These coins are both a stunning investment and a commemoration of Australia's maritime heritage.

About the Batavia:


The Batavia was the flagship of the Dutch East India Company ("Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie" - VOC) built in Amsterdam in 1628.

In 06/1629, the Dutch East India Company's (VOC) vessel - Batavia - set sail from the Netherlands to Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia), with 341 heads on board, when on 04.06.1629, it struck Morning Reef, near Beacon Island  off the Houtman Abrolhos, off the coast of Western Australia and was wrecked. The wreck killed/drowned about 40 passengers. 

The ship was sailing under the command of Commander and senior merchant Francisco Pelsaert, with Ariaen Jacobsz serving as skipper. Also on board was the junior merchant Jeronimus Cornelisz - a bankrupt pharmacist from Haarlem who was fleeing the Netherlands, in fear of arrest because of his heretical beliefs associated with the painter Johannes van der Beeck.

During the voyage, Jacobsz and Cornelisz had conceived a plan to take over the ship and to start a new life elsewhere (The Batavia was carrying a huge cargo of gold and an estimated 250,000 guilders in 12 wooden chests, each containing about 8,000 silver coins on board, the bulk of which were Rijksdaalder produced by individual Dutch states, while the remainder were from the German cities like Hamburg and four jewel bags worth about 60,000 guilders and several special items meant as gifts or for sale to the Mughal Court in India). 

The two had also gathered a small group of men who created incidents on board ship designed for Pelseart taking action by disciplining the crew so that more sailors would join the ranks of the mutineers.

At the time of the shipwreck, there were 322 heads on board and most of the survivors were able to swim to the nearby Beacon Island. The survivors including all the women and children were transferred to nearby islands in the ship's longboat and yawl. No fresh water was found on the island and limited food was available.

Search for food & water supplies & onward journey to Batavia:

The ship's Commander Francisco Pelseart took 47 officers and crew in a longboat - first to search for water and food - but on finding very little options, the company set off on a gruelling journey to Batavia to seek help. They arrived 33 days later with everyone on the boat surviving the ordeal. The boatswain Jan Evertz was arrested and executed for negligence and "outrageous behaviour" before the loss of the ship, while Jacobsz was also arrested for negligence.

Batavia's Governor General immediately gave Pelseart command of the vessel "Sardam" to rescue the survivors and to attempt to salvage riches from the Batavia's wreck.

He arrived at the islands two months after leaving Batavia, only to discover that a bloody mutiny had taken place among the survivors, reducing their number by at least a hundred.

Meanwhile - On the Island a mutiny and murders ensue:

 Assuming leadership, Cornelisz and his supporters set about eliminating any opposition by murdering the survivors. 

Cornelisz had even made far-fetched plans to start a new kingdom, using the gold and silver from the wrecked Batavia, for this purpose, he wanted to  eliminate all opposition to his outrageous plan

His first deliberate act was to have all weapons and food supplies commandeered and placed under his control. He then moved a group of soldiers led by Wiebbe Hayes to nearby West Wallabi Island, under the false pretense of searching for water, convinced that they would be unsuccessful and left them to die there.

The mutineers had originally murdered survivors to save themselves, but eventually began to kill for pleasure or out of habit

Cornelisz's nefarious plan was to reduce the survivor population to around 45, so that their supplies would last longer. Fearing that many survivors were still loyal to the VOC, he made his followers murder at least 125 men, women and children.

Meanwhile the soldiers led by Hayes found good sources of water and food on their islands. Initially through pre-arranged smoke signals, they announced their finds, but they soon learned of the massacres by Cornelisz's supporters and built a make-shift fort and weapons. Cornelisz on realising that his own supplies were dwindling, went to defeat the soldiers, but was himself defeated in several battles taking Cornelisz hostage. The mutineers regrouped and fought a last ditch battle with the trained soldiers, only to be defeated and captured by them.

Make-shift trial & executions on the Islands:

On Palseart's return, the mutineers were tried on the islands, because "Sardam's return voyage" to Batavia would have been overcrowded with survivors and prisoners. Of the mutineers - seven were hanged and two were marooned on the mainland and never heard of again.

Later trials and punishment at Batavia:

The remaining mutineers were taken to Batavia for trial - Here too, five were hanged, several flogged, keelhauled or dropped from the yardarm on later voyages. Cornelisz's second-in-command Jacop Pietersz was broken on the wheel. Captain Jacobsz escaped execution due to lack of evidence, nevertheless, he died in a prison in Batavia.

Salvaging the Batavia's treasure:

Of the original 332 persons on board the Batavia, only 122 made it to port at Batavia. The "Sardam" sailed home with most of the treasure salvaged from the Batavia - Of the 12 treasure chests that were on board the ship, 10 were recovered and taken aboard the Sardam.


Silver Rijksdaalder coins salvaged from the wreck of the Batavia.

The wreck of the Batvia - discovered:

The wreck of the Batavia was discovered in 1963 by lobster fisherman David Johnson. Sections of its hull and other artefacts are on display at the Western Australian Maritime Museum. 


The Batavia - Australia's second-oldest ship-wreck - is an unparalleled tale of the darkest side of human nature.

The Commemorative Coin:

The coin design depicts the harrowing story of the Batavia's wreck and the events that followed.


The Reverse of the Gold Bullion 100 Dollars triangular shaped Coin.

The exquisite design of the Reverse conveys two scenes to communicate the journey of the Batavia. With the image of the ship viewed upright, the Batavia is shown setting sail at full mast, in all its glory.

Flipping the coin to view the text - "1629" and "BATAVIA" upright depicts the ship in its final state capsized shortly after wrecking in 1629.

On the periphery encompassing the main design are engraved unique design elements from the Batavia.


On the Obverse of the 100 Dollar triangular shaped Gold Bullion Coin is depicted the fighting between the survivors as a result of the mutiny and the Batavia, before its ultimate capsizing.

On the upper part is seen an effigy of Queen Elizabeth facing right. The peripheral inscriptions are - "ELIZABETH II. AUSTRALIA. 2019."

The specifications of this coin are:

Coin Series Theme: "Australian Shipwreck"; Denomination: 100 Dollars; Metal Composition: 9999 Fineness Gold (Au); Weight: 31.1 grams or 1.0 Oz; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated; Country of issue: Australia; Minted by : Royal Australian Mint; Mintage: 250 pieces; Presentation Box: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes. Coin comes with a numbered COA; First Release in the four coin series: "Batavia"; Year of issue: 2019.


The encapsulated Gold 100 Dollars Bullion triangular coin housed in its presentation box, together with a Certificate of Authenticity.


The Certificate of Authenticity (COA)



A NGC (Numismatic Guarantee Corporation) certified Gold Bullion Coin of 100 Dollars.


This NGC Certificate shows that this is one of the first 20 coins minted/struck by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM).







Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific etc on this Blog: 

1) Bank of Papua New Guinea: 36th Anniversary Celebrations (1973-2008): A Commemorative Uncirculated Coin Set consisting of a 2 Kina Banknote & a 2 Kina Coin





 3) Currency & Coinage of the Solomon Islands: Dollars and Cents

4) New Zealand: New Banknote "Seventh Series" issued under Project "Brighter Money" from 2015 onwards

5) Coinage of the French Polynesian Island of Caledonia (or Nouvelle Caledonie) the CFP Franc  

6) French Institution for issuing uniform currency/coinage for French Overseas Territories in the Pacific and the French Southern Territories of Antarctica: The Institut d'emmission d'outre Mer (IEOM)

7) Currency & Coinage of Samoa: Tala and Sene 

8) Currency of the South Pacific Island Country of Fiji 

9) Coinage of New Zealand: A commemorative coin set issued in 1979 

10) Currency and Coinage of Australia: Dollars and Cents 

11) The Australian Emblem or the Coat of Arms 

12) The story of the Australian Penny 

13) The Legend of the Mutiny on the Bounty: A Commemorative Coin Set from the Pitcairn Islands depicting relics from the Bounty issued in 2009 

14) An Australian $5 coin issued in 1996, commemorating Australia's greatest cricketing legend - Sir Donald Bradman 

15) New Series/Generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced from 01.09.2016 onwards starting from $5 issues 

16) Southern Lights: A $1 Silver holographic coin issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in January 2017

17) Currency & coinage of the Kingdom of Tonga : Pa'anga & Seniti 

18) Postage Stamps & Coin: Commemorating the Centenary of the Trans-Australian Railway Line stamps issued by Australia Post & coins by Perth Mint on 04.07.2017



20) The Earth and Beyond Coin Series issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): First coin in the series - The Earth - issued on 03.04.2018


21) Wedge Tailed Eagle Coin Series: 200 Dollars Gold, 100 Dollars Gold & 1 Dollar Silver coins brought out by the Perth Mint, Australia in its on-going series started in 2014 in collaboration with John Mercanti, Chief Engraver of the US Mint: Coins issued in 2018


22) Australian Kangaroo Coin Series: 25th Anniversary Commemoration: A $100 Gold Coin and a $10 Silver Coin with selective gold plating issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) in 2018


23) "Kangaroo at Sunset": The Royal Australian Mint (RAM) is phasing out this iconic $25 Gold Coin from its repertoire of Commemorative Coins in 2018


24) "Discovery": An exclusive one piece - 2 Kilo Gold Coin studded with four Argyle Pink Diamonds/Gemstones minted by the Perth Mint, Australia in co-ordination with the Argyle Pink Diamonds Mine on 04.09.2018


25) "The Moon": The Earth and Beyond three Silver Coin Series: Royal Australian Mint issues the second coin in the series - a silver coloured Five (AUD) Dollars Concave-shaped (Domed) Coin on 03.09.2018


26) New $10 Australian Banknote issued on 18.09.2017 under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

27) New Australian 50 Dollar Banknote (AUD $50) issued in 10/2018, under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New Generation of Australian Banknotes introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)


28) "Lake Argyle" - "The Jewel of the Kimberley", Australia: Limited Edition Series of Rare diamond ingots in Pink Gold (10 Oz. & 1 Oz.) and Platinum (1 Oz.) studded with eight Argyle Pink Diamonds each issued by the Perth Mint, Australia in collaboration with the Argyle Pink Diamond Mine (2018)


29) "The Sun": The Earth and Beyond Coin Series": Royal australian Mint (RAM) issues the third and final coin in the three-coin Series, a Silver Coloured Five (AUD) Dollars Concave-shaped (Domed) Coin on 03.02.2019


30) Australia New Generation $20 Banknote is scheduled to be released in October 2019, joining the already released Banknotes in the denominations of $5, $10 and $50 in the new Series

31) The Afghan Express, Australia's iconic Train nicknamed "The Ghan": 90th Anniversary of the iconic Transcontinental Passenger Train: A 50 Cent Colour applied coin brought out by the Royal Australian Mint on 08.07.2019

32) "Kangaroos at Dawn", Australia, replaces the "Kangaroo at Sunset" Coin Series:25 Dollar Gold 1/5 Oz Coin and 1 Dollar Silver 1/2 Oz Coins brought out by the Royal Australian Mint

33) Australian Redback Spider: The first coin in a new $1 (AUD) Silver Bullion Coin Series, brought out by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) in a series titled "Australia's Most Dangerous": Coin issue year: 2020 

34) QANTAS (Queensland And North Territory Aerial Service), Australia: Centenary Anniversary Celebrations (1920-2020): A Commemorative $1 (AUD) Coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM; b) An 11-Coin set featuring an aircraft from QANTAS's 100 year old history and the Kangaroo Penny, which inspired its "Flying Kangaroo" logo: Coin issue Year: 2020

35) Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Niue: A $100 (AUD) Pearl 1 Oz. Gold Proof Coin: Date/Year of issue - 2020

36) "Gold Rush, 1851", Australia: Gold (10 Dollars), Silver (1 Dollar) and Aluminium Bronze (1 Dollar) Coins minted by the Royal Australian Mint commemorate the Era of Australia's Gold Rush; Year of issue: 2020

37) Indian-Pacific Railway Service, Australia: 50th Anniversary of the iconic train service: A Commemorative 50 Cent Coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Year of issue: 2020:

38) The ill-fated ship "Batavia", Australia: "Australian Shipwreck Coin Series": The first Gold 100 Dollars Triangular shaped Bullion Coin minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2019

Links to interesting Posts on coins from Tuvalu Islands:
Links to posts on issues from the Republic of Palau:

2) Four Leaf Clover - Coin titled "Silver Fortune" - A 5 Dollars Silver coin issued by Coin Invest Trust in 2018


3) Totem Pole 2 Oz. or 10 Dollars Silver coin from the Republic of Palau being issued on 12.06.2018


4) The "Maneki Neko Cat" ot the "Fortune Cat" : A $1 Gold Coin issued by the Republic of Palau: Minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich for Coin Invest Trust in 2018


Links to Posts on coin issues from Niue Islands:


1) Battle of Marathon: Battles that changed History Coin Series: A $2 Silver coin issued by the New Zealand Mint of behalf of Niue Islands in 2018


2) Sachin Tendulkar: "World's Greatest Batsman": Gold & Silver coins issued by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Islands in 2015


3) The Red Dragon, an issue from Niue Island: minted by the New Zealand Mint: "The Mythical Dragons of the World Coin Series": The first Silver 5 Dollars selectively coloured Coin in the Series features the "Red Dragon of Vortigern": Year of issue: 2019

4) "The Four Dragons", Niue Island: Minted by the New Zealand Mint: The "Mythical Dragons of the World Coin Series": The second Silver 5 Dollars Selectively Coloured Coin in the Series features the Four Dragons: the Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon and the Pearl Dragon: Year of issue: 2019

5) The "1001 Arabian Nights Tales": First $2 Silver crown Coin coin in the Series depicts the "story of Ali Baba and the 40 thieves": Coin issue date: 29.03.2019

6) Niue Island: "The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor": The "1001 Arabian Nights Tales": The Second Coin in the Series features the story of Sindbad the Sailor, on a $2 Silver Crown Coin issued by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Island in the South Pacific: Issue date: 05/2019

7) Birds of Paradise, Niue Islands: A 1 Oz Silver $2 Coin minted by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Islands: Coin minting Year: 2020



Links to posts on Coin issues from Solomon Islands:





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