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Recovered from a ship that sank nearly 200 years ago, these coins are in remarkable condition because they were 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. 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. One side shows the arms of the British East India Company (two rampant lions with a shield between them) 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, however, the Admiral Gardner never made it because a sudden storm developed off the coast of England and the ship sank on the treacherous Goodwin Sands. These coins were supposedly lost forever – but in 1985 the wreck was discovered and some of the coins were recovered from wooden casks that had been preserved by the cold water and thick mud.

The coins offered here are some of the finest 10 cash coins from the wreck and measure about 7/8” in diameter. Each coin is displayed in a custom coin wallet with a Certificate of Authenticity and information about the shipwreck and the coin.