The Admiral Gardner (East Indiaman) Shipwreck 1809

The Admiral Gardner was wrecked on the infamous Goodwin Sands 4 miles off the Deal coast in Kent, England, on 24/25 January 1809. The ship, an East Indiaman, was named after Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner, who died only 3 weeks before the shipwreck. Seven crew members lost their lives.

The Admiral Gardner, built in 1796, was a three masted sailing vessel with three decks, was 145 feet long, 36 feet wide and with a displacement of 816 tons. She carried 23 guns. She was constructed of oak and teak.

Admiral Gardener, being captained by William Eastfield, was carrying 54 tons of copper coins, which had been destined for use by the East India Company in the Madras Presidency, India. The coins were made by Matthew Boulton at his Soho Mint in Handsworth, West Midlands, England were among the first ever coins to be minted by steam power. The copper, for the manufacture of the coins, came from mines in Cornwall.

The wreck of the Admiral Gardener was partially salvaged in 1985, with tens of thousands of the coins being recovered from the wreck site, many of them still contained in the sealed barrels the East India Company was using to transport the coins to india.

A 20 Cash Coin from the wreck of the Admiral Gardner

Above and Below: A 20 Cash Coin from the wreck of the Admiral Gardner, sank on the Goodwin Sands in 1809.

A 10 Cash Coin from the wreck of the Admiral Gardner

Above and Below: A 10 Cash Coin from the wreck of the Admiral Gardner, sank on the Goodwin Sands in 1809.