Admiral Gardner Shipwreck

These coins are original "10 cash" coppers recovered from the wreck of the British East India Company's Admiral Gardner, and have spent over 200 years on the ocean floor. The ship was bound for India when it sank in 1809, and wasn't rediscovered until 1984.

On a dark and stormy day in early 1809, the Admiral Gardner navigated the rough waters of the English Channel. Its intended destinations were Madras and Bengal, overseas holdings of the British East India Company (EIC). It was to deliver thousands of newly-minted copper coins, among other cargo.

However, fate intervened—the ship was torn apart in a massive storm and claimed by the murky depths of the sea. The EIC valued the lost cargo at £21,579, a hefty sum for the time. But it would not be the only loss of the day. Two other company ships were also sunk during the same storm: the Apollo and the Britania.

Fortunately for the Admiral Gardner, sailors on a nearby vessel were able to rescue nearly every crew member. Only three to five were said to have perished. The sunken ship sat undisturbed until 1984, when it's cargo was finally recovered.