For nearly 30 years, divers exploring a wreck site off Salcombe in southwest England recovered Moroccan gold coins, but the ship's identity remained a mystery. Recent research has identified the vessel as the 'Dom van Keulen', a Dutch ship that sank in the 17th century.
The coins, dating from the Saadian dynasty (16th-17th centuries), were likely part of a cargo of gold from Safi, Morocco. The ship was en route to Europe when it sank, possibly in a storm.
The discovery provides rare evidence of trade between Morocco and Europe during the Saadian period. The gold coins are now being studied by historians and archaeologists.
