COPPER PLATES
FROM THE SHIP KOPERPLATEN 16th century Off the coast of the Netherlands, approximately 15 km north of the island of Terschelling in the North Sea, a shipwreck was discovered during rescue operations following the loss of containers from the MSC Zoe on the night of 1–2 January 2019. The wreck is the remains of a Dutch wooden ship dating from the first half of the 16th century, now known as the Koperplaten. This wreck is the oldest known shipwreck in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Slide The Koperplaten is more than an ordinary wreck. It is an exceptional witness to the expansion of global trade in the 16th century. The copper plates it caried belonged to the Fugger trading network, one of the most influential financial and trading families in Europe at the time. Ships like this connected European ports with distant regions and played a key role in the spread of technology, raw materials, and wealth.

The sailing ship was built around 1540 in what is now the Netherlands or northwestern Germany. It was a flat-bottomed ship with a smooth hull and three masts, measuring approximately 32 × 8 meters. At the time of its sinking, it was carrying more than 13 tons of copper plates, all marked with the Fugger coat of arms.

The ship was constructed using the carvel method, in which the hull planks are laid tightly next to each other on a strong solid frame. Such ships, known as carracks, were still being perfected in the 16th century. Evolving from earlier caravels, their three-masted design ensured higher load capacity and better sailing characteristics. Slide Slide The copper plates from the wreck were found in various shapes, both circular and rectangular, and were originally tied together in bundles. They were used for the commercial transport of copper from Gdańsk to Amsterdam or Antwerp. Copper plates had a wide range of uses. in the 16th century, including coin production, weapon manufacture, and the construction of ships and buildings.

In addition to the wooden remains of the ship, 880 copper plates were discovered on the seabed: circular: 205 pieces, rectangular: 630 pieces, bundles: 17 pieces, separate packaging for bundles: 17 pieces, fragments: 3 pieces.

The total weight of the copper cargo exceeded 13.3 tons. Due to this cargo of copper plates, the wreck was named Koperplaten, which translates as "copper plates."
Copper plates from the wreck of the Koperplaten bear the seal of the Fugger family—a trident with
a ring, the symbol of the famous merchant family. One example
is on the circular copper plate displayed here, with a diameter
of 114 cm and a weight of 34.1 kg.

Also on display in this
exhibition are:
• a rectangular copper plate measuring 82 × 60.1 cm and weighing 6.3 kg,

• a smaller fragment of a copper semi-finished product.
 The ship Koperplaten is a symbol of the development of international trade in the 16th century. The copper plates it carried were part of the trading network of the Fugger family, one of the most influential merchant dynasties in Europe.

The Fuggers played a key role in the copper trade, particularly in the 16th century, and ships loaded with Bystrica copper traveled all over the world. The Koperplaten ship is significant for its construction and cargo of copper plates and symbolizes the development of a global trade network. Fugger copper cargoes have also been found on the sailing ship Bom Jesus in Namibia, in Mozambique, and on a wreck at Ras Ngomeni in Kenya, demonstrating the extent of their trade.

For Banská Bystrica, this discovery represents a link between the local copper tradition and global trade. Each plate reminds us that our city and region also had historical significance in trade and industry, which influenced the whole of Europe.