A Dutch East India Company (V.O.C) silver ingot from the Bredenhof Bullion. c. 1600 gram.

In September 1752 the Dutch Council of Seventeen of the V.O.C. ordered the Chamber of Middelburg to send the BREDENHOF via Ceylon to Bengal. The Bredenhof, built in 1746 was a vessel of 136 feet and 800 ton. The voyage to Bengal would be the third and last of the Bredenhof to the East Indies.

In the year 1752 the Chamber of Middelburg not only lost the WAPEN VAN HOORN, but also the famous GELDERMALSEN.

In the year 1753 the Chamber would suffer another loss: the Bredenhof. The Bredenhof's cargo manifest was listed as 14 barrels ('vaatjes') with specially minted VOC copper coins ('Duiten') and 30 chests with silver and gold. This was made up to 29 chests of bar silver, valued at 300 000 guilders, and one chest with 5 000 gold ducats, valued at 25 000 guilders. The silver was set apart for Bengal to be minted into silver Rupees.

In calm conditions, but as a result of treacherous counter currents, the Bredenhof was wrecked on a reef 13 miles from the east coast of Africa and about 120 miles south of Mocambique, the Portuguese settlement on the African coast. This tragedy took place on 6 June 1753.