Admiral Gardners 1809 Shipwreck 10 Cash coin

Admiral Gardner Shipwreck – 1808/1809 10 Cash Coin

Historical Background

The 10 Cash coin from the Admiral Gardner shipwreck is one of the most famous shipwreck coins available to collectors today.

• The Admiral Gardner was owned by the British East India Company.

• In January 1809, shortly after leaving England for India, the ship was caught in a severe storm and wrecked on the Goodwin Sands in the English Channel. 

• The ship carried a cargo of approximately 48–50 tons of copper coins, struck in 1808, intended to pay workers in the East India Company territories in India. 

• The wreck remained lost for nearly 175 years until rediscovered by divers in the 1980s, when large quantities of coins were recovered from barrels preserved in sand and mud. 

Coin Specifications

Typical specifications for the 1808 East India Company 10 Cash:

• Date: 1808

• Denomination: 10 Cash

• Material: Copper

• Weight: approx. 4.6–4.7 g

• Diameter: about 25–26 mm

• Mint: Soho / Birmingham Mint, England 

• Issued for: Madras Presidency, British India

Design Details

Obverse

• Arms of the East India Company with shield and lions.

• Latin motto: “Auspicio Regis et Senatus Angliae”

  • Meaning: “Under the patronage of the King and Parliament of England.”

• Date 1808 below the arms.

Reverse

• Large “X” indicating denomination 10 Cash.

• Persian inscription translating roughly to:
  “Ten cash are equal to two falus.”

The use of Persian reflects the language used in Mughal India during the period.

Shipwreck Recovery

• Wreck discovered around 1984–1985.

• Divers recovered thousands of coins from sealed barrels.

• Strong currents at the Goodwin Sands allowed diving for only short periods each day. 

• The wreck site is now protected under UK law, limiting further salvage. 

Collecting Notes

• These coins are among the most affordable shipwreck coins because large quantities were recovered.

• Surface condition varies widely due to 200 years under the sea.

✅ In summary:
The Admiral Gardner 10 Cash coin is a copper coin minted in 1808 for British India, lost in the 1809 wreck of the East India Company ship Admiral Gardner on the Goodwin Sands and recovered nearly two centuries later. It represents an interesting combination of British colonial history, maritime disaster, and numismatics.