Researchers Identify 17th-Century Dutch Shipwreck Carrying Moroccan Gold Off England

After nearly three decades of investigation, researchers from the British Museum and Bournemouth University have identified a 17th-century shipwreck discovered in 1995 off the south coast of England as the Dutch merchant ship Dom van Keulen. The vessel sank in 1633 while en route from Morocco to Amsterdam, carrying a remarkable cargo of over 400 gold coins minted in Morocco. Historian Ian Freil linked the wreck to the ship by cross-referencing the date, geographic location, origin of the coins, and Dutch artifacts found at the site. The newest coin dated to 1632, confirming the shipwreck occurred after that year.

The breakthrough came from archival research in the UK National Archives, where Freil found a 1633 claim filed by Amsterdam merchants describing how the ship was forced to abandon its precious cargo due to severe weather near the English coast. Besides the gold coins, divers recovered jewelry, pottery, goat hides, a merchant’s seal, and a red ceramic jar containing medicinal resin pills, indicating the ship’s medical supplies.

Jeremy Hill, head of research at the British Museum, emphasized the discovery’s international significance, highlighting how it illuminates the thriving 17th-century maritime trade routes linking Morocco, the Netherlands, and Britain. The coin collection is now recognized as the largest known hoard of gold coins from Morocco’s Saadi dynasty, offering tangible evidence of the wealth and governance of the Saadi sharifs during that era. Although the ship’s remains are minimal and no illustrations exist, the identification enriches historical understanding of early modern global commerce.