Spain. Felipe V. 8 Reales Mexico - VOC Akerendam Shipwreck (1725) – Ex Schulman Auction 381

Spanish Empire – Mexico – Philip V (1700–1746) – Silver Cob 8 Reales – Reportedly from the VOC Akerendam Shipwreck (1725) – Ex Schulman Auction 381

Country: Spanish Empire, Colonial Mexico
Ruler: Philip V (1700–1746)
Denomination: 8 Reales (Cob)
Date: Undated, attributed to the reign of Philip V
Mint: Mexico City
Metal: Silver
Weight: 25.80 g
Diameter: 32 mm
Reference: Cf. Calicó 1359–1429

Obverse: Crowned Spanish royal coat of arms, representing the territories and dynastic possessions of the Spanish monarchy.

Reverse: Jerusalem cross with castles and lions arranged in the four quarters, traditional symbols of the kingdoms of Castile and León.

Historical Context

The Spanish 8 Reales, commonly known as the Spanish Dollar or Piece of Eight, was one of the most influential silver coins in world history.

Struck in the Spanish American colonies, particularly at the Mexico City mint, these coins circulated extensively throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. Their silver content and widespread international acceptance made them an important currency in global commerce.

The cob 8 Reales, known in Spanish as a macuquina, was produced by striking silver blanks individually using traditional hammering techniques. These coins were manufactured before the widespread introduction of modern machine-struck coinage in the Spanish colonies.

During the reign of Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, enormous quantities of silver from the Americas continued to circulate through international trading networks.

Spanish colonial silver was particularly important to the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which used silver coins to finance trade with Asian markets, including the Dutch East Indies, India and China.

The VOC Akerendam Shipwreck – 1725

This particular coin is reportedly associated with the wreck of the Dutch East India Company vessel Akerendam, which sank off the Norwegian coast in 1725.

The Akerendam was part of the Dutch East India Company’s extensive maritime trading network, transporting valuable cargo intended for overseas commerce.

In March 1725, the vessel departed from the Netherlands on a voyage towards Batavia, present-day Jakarta, Indonesia. Shortly after departure, the ship encountered severe weather and was wrecked near the Norwegian island of Runde.

The entire crew was lost in the disaster.

The Akerendam carried a substantial cargo of silver and gold coins intended to support VOC commercial activities in Asia.

The wreck was rediscovered in 1972, and subsequent salvage operations recovered large quantities of historic coinage. The discovery became an important chapter in the history of maritime archaeology and Dutch overseas commerce.

The Akerendam treasure is particularly associated with the international movement of precious-metal currency during the eighteenth century.

Provenance

Ex Schulman b.v., Auction 381, 23 October 2024, Lot 1234.

Reportedly recovered from the VOC ship Akerendam, wrecked off the Norwegian coast in 1725.

From an old Dutch collection, accompanied by historical provenance documentation assembled during the 1980s.

The documentation includes newspaper articles, research notes and other material relating to the Akerendam shipwreck and its recovery.

The association with the Akerendam is recorded in the previous Schulman auction description and is presented as reported provenance rather than independently confirmed archaeological identification.

The accompanying historical documentation forms part of the lot.

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