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Thursday 23 January 2020

1213) The ill-fated ship "Vergulde Draeck" (or the "Gilt Dragon"), Australia: The second Gold 100 Dollars and Silver 1 Dollar Triangular shaped Bullion Coin minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2020:

1213) The ill-fated ship "Vergulde Draeck" (or the "Gilt Dragon"), Australia:  The second Gold 100 Dollars and Silver 1 Dollar Triangular shaped Bullion Coin minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2020:

In collaboration with LPM, the Royal Australian Mint has brought out the second coin in its on-going 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 second coin in the series features the ill-fated Vergulde Drake ( meaning the "Gilt Dragon") 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 Vergulde Draeck (the "Gilt Dragon"):

The Vergulde Draeck was a 41.8 metre (137.0 feet), 260 tonne (290 ton) ship constructed in 1653 bt the Durch East India Company (VOC).

In 1656, the Vergulde Draeck set sail from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa for VOC's trading headquarters at Batavia (Jakarta), Indonesia, with a cargo of trade goods, coins, passengers and crew.

On the night of 28.04.1656, the vessel struck a uncharted, submerged coral reef midway between present day coastal towns of Seabird and Ledge Point, Western Australia, which gutted the ship.

On board were 193 crew members, of which 118 are believed to have perished immediately. The initial 75 survivors, including the ship's captain - Pieter Albertszoon - and the understeersman, made it to shore. They had with them the ship's boat - a schuyt (a traditional Dutch barge which is a flat bottomed shoal-draught sailing barge, originally used to carry cargo in the shallow Zuyder Zee and rivers of Netherlands) - along with a small amount of provisions and stores, which washed ashore.

On 07.05.1656, about nine days after the wreching of the Vergulde Draeck, the under-steersman Abraham Leeman and six crew members were dispatched to Batavia to summon help. They carried with them letters written by the crew which described the loss of the schuyt, the crew's decision to await rescue efforts from Batavia and their steadfast faith in God.

After a journey of about 1,400 nautical miles (or about 2,600 kilometres), lasting 41 days, with little water and food, and suffering from exposure, they arrived at Batavia. An alarm was raised and search operations for the survivors of the Vergulde Draeck and its cargo was launched.

The VOC attempted several rescue operations:

On 07.06.1656, two vessels - the "Goede Hoop" and the "Witte Valck" - were despatched from Batavia.

Large storms off the Western Australian coast prevented both ships from launching a full-out search.

The Witte Valck failed to land men on the coast, while on 18.07.1656, the Goede Hoop managed to send a landing party ashore, however, they lost three men along the coast who had wandered into the bush, before losing another eight men who went in search of them.

No sign of the survivors or wreckage was found.

On 23.04.1657, another ship - the "Vinck" - which was in the process of sailing from the Cape of Good Hope was instructed to search for the survivors on its passage to Batavia.

The Vinck, too, found no sign of the wreckage or survivors.

On 01.01.1658, the "Waeckende Boey" and the "Emerloordt" were despatched from Batavia .

On 23.02.1658, the Waeckende Boey sighted the Western Australian coast-line and three days later, a shore party returning from the coast recorded the discovery of wreckage believed to be the Vergulde Draeck.

A notable discovery was a plank circle, a collection of 12/13 planks placed in a circular fashion, dug into the beach sand with their ends facing skywards.

During the various searches, a small shore party led by Abraham Leeman, from the Waeckende Boey became separated. Bad weather prevented the party from returning to the ship and after four days, the shore party was assumed to be lost. The modern town of Leeman, Western Australia is named after this Dutch explorer.

On 09.03.1658, Captain Jonck of the Emeloordt managed to send a small party to land. This group reported having seen three Aboriginal natives of tall stature who attempted to communicate with them using basic hand signals. This story of "first contact" was a peaceful exchange - quite likely with the Yuet people of Western Australia.

A further rescue attempt was made in 1659, when the vessel Emmenhorn was despatched, but found no sign of survivors or wreckage.

Discovery of the Vergulde Draeck shipwreck:

Although many discoverers had attempted to find the remains of the vessel Vergulde Draeck, it was generally accepted that that the wreck was found by John Cowen, Jim, Alan and Graeme Henderson, but this claim was not been conclusively established.

Subsequently, in 1963, the wreck of the Vergulde Draeck was positively identified and it was excavated in 1972.

About 19,000 coins were recovered - mainly Spanish Reales and some Japanese Silver Coins.

The mystery of what became of the survivors of the Vergulde Draeck is lost in the obscurity of time and remains one of the most enigmatic episodes of Australia's maritime history.


The Commemorative Gold Bullion Coin:

The coin design depicts the story of the Vergulde Draeck wreck and the events that followed.


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

The exquisite design on the Reverse conveys two scenes to communicate the journey of the "Gilt Dragon". With the image of the ship viewed upright, the Gilt Dragon is shown setting sail at fullmast.

Flipping the coin to view the text - "1656" and "Vergulde Draeck" upright, the Gilt Dragon is depicted  in its final state - capsized shortly after wrecking in 1656.

The border encompassing the main design also incorporates unique design elements from the Vergulde Draeck.


On the Obverse of the 100 Dollar triangular shaped Gold Bullion Coin is depicted scenes from the dramatic story of the vessel before its ultimate fate.

On the upper part is seen an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. The peripheral inscriptions are - "ELIZABETH II. AUSTRALIA. 2020".

The specifications of this coin are:

Coin Series Theme: "Australian Shipwrecks"; Denomination: 100 Dollars; Metal Composition: 9999 Fineness Gold (Au); Diameter/Size: 33.9 mm; Weight: 31.1 grams or 1.0 Oz; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU); Country of issue: Australia; Minted by: Royal Australian Mint (RAM); Mintage: 250 pieces; Presentation Box: Yes, presented in a protective triangular capsule; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes. Coin comes with a numbered COA; Second Release in the four Coin Series: "Vergulde Draeck"; Year of issue: 2020.

The Commemorative Silver Bullion Coin:


The Obverse and Reverse of the 1 Dollar Silver Coin are identical in design and shape to the Gold Coin issues.


The Reverse of the 1 Dollar Silver Bullion triangular shaped Coin 


The Obverse of the 1 Dollar Silver Bullion triangular shaped Coin

The specifications of the Silver issues are:

Coin Series theme: "Australian Shipwrecks"; Denomination: 1 Dollar;  Metal Composition: 999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Diameter/Size: 33.9 mm; Weight: 31.1 grams or 1.0 Oz; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU); Country of issue: Australia; Minted by: Royal Australian Mint RAM); Mintage:20,000 pieces; Presentation Box and Certificate of Authenticity (COA): No; Year of issue: 2020.






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

39) The ill-fated ship "Vergulde Draeck" (or the "Gilt Dragon"), Australia: The second Gold 100Dollars and Silver 1 Dollar Triangular shaped Bullion Coins minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2020

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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