Treasure Sale Silver coins and other treasure salvaged from the Dutch East Indiaman Hollandia, which sank in 1743, were sold by auction at Penzance on 8th September. Mr. Michael Newman, acting on behalf of Rex Cowan, the leader of the salvage expedition, conducted the auction.

The catalogues were sold in aid of the R.N.L.I.

The R.N.L.I. recently launched a special Cornish life-boat appeal to help provide two new life-boats to be stationed at Falmouth and Sennen Cove.

The Hollandia was a 700-ton vessel, which sank on 13th July, 1743, off the Scilly Isles, with the loss of her whole complement of 276 sailors and soldiers and 30 passengers. She seems to have struck the Gunner Rock and to have sunk in about 22 fathoms of water. She carried about 129,700 guilders in silver coin belonging to theDutch East India Company. Some of the coins were pieces of eight of Mexican silver, others being ducatons, also known as silvery riders, minted in the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

These coins were the principal items on sale.

Rex Cowan's expedition began in 1967 following years of historical research and planning. Over 15,000 coins were recovered with quantities of artifacts and other bronze cannon..