From Morocco to the Coast of England: The Story of the Dom van Keulen and its Remarkable Cargo (British Museum Research Publications)

In 1994, the remains of a 17th-century shipwreck were discovered by divers off Salcombe Bay.The finds consisted of 400 gold coins of the Sa’dian sharifs of Morocco in addition to ingots, jewellery as well as other items including Dutch pewter and pottery - the majority of which are now in the British Museum collection.Although the ship does not survive in its entirety, divers discovered remnants of wood, rope and lead that were parts of its infrastructure.This finds from this shipwreck are significant for several reasons: the gold is clearly a bullion hoard and the number of Sa’dian coins offer great insight into the numismatic history of the period.In addition, such pieces of 16th-17th century Moroccan jewellery from this period rarely survive in datable contexts.Alongside these gold objects are objects which provide a fascinating insight into everyday life on board ship, including crockery, sea sickness pills, beans and copper coins.Whilst there was much debate at the time of discove