A louis d'or from the shipwreck of the Chameau

Three hundred years ago, relocating to another city, country, or in some cases, to another continent, were not an easy matter. People had to carry all their wealth in gold and silver coins, while being exposed to highway robbery or to shipwreck on sea...

When the 48-gun, 600-ton frigate "Le Chameau" sank on August 27, 1725 at the rocky shores of Nova Scotia, it was not only her passenger's wealth that disappeared among the waves. The ship carried a precious cargo: silver and gold coins for the administration of the French colonies in Canada. The colonies obviously did not have a mint; all the money that was in circulation must have been 'imported' from the continent.

This supply of coins was on board of the Chameau, along with other commercial cargo; and the passangers: fresh army recruits, and a number of French dignitaries of great wealth and power. 180 bodies surged to the surface and was buried at the nearby town Baleine. There were some hopeless attempts to recover the immense wealth that went down with the ship, but without any result.

It was only in 1961 when divers first reached the sea bottom where the pieces of the shipwreck lay scattered.

I recently saw a gold coin from the Chameau shipwreck on sale for nearly $3000. Here is an image from the auction site:

The legend on the reverse: "CHRS REGN VINC IMP" (CHRISTUS REGNAT VINCIT IMPERAT - Christ reigns, defeats and commands)

In 2006, the Royal Mint of Canada issued a commemorative gold coin remembering the recovery of the treasures by drivers in 1965. The reverse of the coin is an exact copy of the louis d'or from the shipwreck site, the obverse, however, bears the image of Queen Elizabeth II: