Batavia: The Counterfeit Coin Conspiracy

Batavia is an historical novel based on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Dutch East Indiaman Batavia in 1628/29.
The pages seethe with the very best and worst of human characteristics: love and devotion, lust and carnal horror, honour and courage, murder and savage revenge - all are depicted in graphic dimensions.

Some characters are taken from existing records of the events, some are based on persons known to have lived and thought to have been connected with the Dutch East India Company at the time. Others are entirely fictitious.

Evidence which emerged in 1982 regarding the nature of part of the cash treasure carried by the ship led to some speculative writing. There is nothing to prove conclusively that the events which are depicted actually occurred.
The reader must, however, interpret privately the implications as presented.

Nevertheless, the very presence of counterfeit coinage salvaged from the wreck of the Batavia points to a case of treachery in the highest realms of international trade of the day.

You be the judge.