Netherlands, Utrecht Leeuwendaalder (Lion Dollar) NGC Certified – VOC Campen Shipwreck

Netherlands – Dutch Republic – Utrecht – Silver Leeuwendaalder, 1616 – NGC Shipwreck Certification – Ex VOC Campen Shipwreck (1627) – With Original Certificate

Country: Dutch Republic (United Provinces)
Province: Utrecht
Denomination: 1 Leeuwendaalder (Lion Daalder)
Year: 1616
Metal: Silver
Reference: Davenport 4863
Shipwreck: VOC Campen (1627)
NGC Certification Number: 8237466-001

Obverse: Armoured knight standing behind a shield bearing the heraldic lion, surrounded by a Latin inscription referring to the silver coinage of the Dutch Republic.

Reverse: Lion rampant facing left, surrounded by the traditional Latin legend of the Leeuwendaalder.

Historical Context

The Leeuwendaalder, commonly known as the Lion Daalder, was one of the most influential silver trade coins of the Dutch Republic during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

First introduced in 1575, these coins became an important part of international commerce. They circulated extensively throughout Europe, the Ottoman Empire, the Middle East and Asia.

During the Dutch Golden Age, the Dutch East India Company (VOC), established in 1602, played a major role in the development of global maritime trade. Silver coinage was an essential part of this expanding commercial network, particularly in trade with Asian markets.

The Leeuwendaalder also left a lasting influence on European monetary history. The names of the Romanian leu and Bulgarian lev ultimately derive from the lion coin, reflecting the widespread circulation of Dutch silver currency.

The VOC Campen Shipwreck – 1627

This particular Leeuwendaalder is associated with the historic wreck of the Dutch East India Company vessel Campen, which sank near the Needles, off the Isle of Wight, England, on 23 October 1627.

The Campen departed from the Netherlands in October 1627 on its maiden voyage towards Batavia, present-day Jakarta, Indonesia.

During the voyage, the vessel encountered severe weather in the English Channel. While attempting to navigate between the dangerous rock formations known as the Needles, the ship struck the rocks and sank.

All approximately 160 people aboard managed to survive the disaster.

The Campen was carrying valuable trading cargo, including silver coins intended for commercial transactions overseas.

Although some cargo was salvaged shortly after the disaster, the wreck continued to attract archaeological interest centuries later.

Modern underwater investigations recovered thousands of historic coins, including Dutch Leeuwendaalders and Spanish silver Reales, providing important archaeological evidence of seventeenth-century maritime commerce.

Documented Shipwreck Provenance

Ex VOC Campen Shipwreck, sunk 23 October 1627 near the Needles, Isle of Wight, England.

The coin is accompanied by an original German-language shipwreck certificate identifying it as a Leeuwendaalder recovered from the wreck of the Campen.

The certificate states that the coin was recovered in June 1975 by divers of the British Sub Aqua Club.

It bears the signature of the group leader of the Needles Underwater Archaeology Group.

Additionally, the coin has been authenticated and encapsulated by the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) with its special Shipwreck Certification label, identifying the Campen wreck.

NGC Certification Number: 8237466-001

The original historical certificate and the NGC-encapsulated coin are both included in this lot.

A fascinating piece of Dutch maritime and numismatic history, directly connecting seventeenth-century silver coinage with the early overseas voyages of the Dutch East India Company.

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