The silent cargo of the
seventeenth century
Metals drawn from a shipwreck lost to the Ontong Java Atoll. Four centuries beneath the Pacific, recovered grain by grain — and now curated for those who would hold history in hand.
A vessel lost to the atoll, before history learned its name
Iron ingots from an 18th-century shipwreck at the Ontong Java Atoll, Solomon Islands — discovered and recovered by Dr. Reginald Aipia of Ontong Java Development Co. Ltd, Luaníua Village, Lord Howe Islands.
Independent assay by the India Government Mint, Mumbai (ISO 9001:2015 certified) confirmed the metal contains Platinum-Group Metals at concentrations far exceeding those found in standard PGM ores. The Materials Processing Institute (UK) independently corroborated these findings, recording PGM levels of 1,600 – 4,100 ppm against a benchmark of 5–15 ppm for 'good' PGM ore.
All material is exported under a WWII Wrecks and War Relics Licence issued by the Solomon Islands National Museum, Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
A coral atoll in the northern Solomon Sea, among the most remote landforms in the Pacific.
The debris field rests across a sloping reef shelf, settled in fine carbonate sediment.
Iron ingots from an 18th-century shipwreck in the Solomon Islands, confirmed by multiple independent assay bodies.
Operating under Solomon Islands cultural-heritage recovery permits, with full provenance chain documented per artifact.
Scattered across the seabed, recovered one at a time
Each artifact is catalogued by recovery year, origin depth, and metallurgical composition. None is replicated. Acquire is by transfer only.
Recovered Iron Bar — MH #112
Recovered Iron Bar — MH #48
Recovered Iron Bar — MH #36
Recovered Iron Bar — MH #51 (Cut Section)
Recovered Iron Bar — MH #193
Recovered Gold Ingot — "R P" Signature Pour
Recovered Gold Ingot — Hand-Poured Ingot
Recovered Gold Ingot — Stepped Pour (176 g)
Wrapped Cylindrical Bar — TCT-05 (Scan-Verified)
Recovered Bar Lot — Depot Stockpile (Bulk)
Recovered Maritime Assemblage — Fittings & Hardware
Raised from the reef, grain by grain
A record of the cargo as it was found and examined on the Ontong Java Atoll — the stockpile at the recovery site, and the cut sections that lay bare the metal beneath its marine shell.
Provenance is the only thing that cannot be recovered
“We wish to declare that the salvaging discovery materials of 1870 ship wrecks in Ontong Java Atoll was founded and discovered by Dr. Reginald Aipia of Ontong Java Development Co.LTD, Luaníua Village; Lord Howe Islands — Ontong Java Atoll — SOLOMON ISLANDS.”
- Issuing Authority
- Ministry of Culture & Tourism
- Discovered By
- Dr. Reginald Aipia
- Recovery Body
- Ontong Java Development Co. Ltd
- Origin
- Luaníua Village — Lord Howe Islands, Ontong Java Atoll, Solomon Islands
- Date of Record
- 31 August 2020
- Official Seal
- MINISTRY OF CULTURE & TOURISM · P.O. BOX G25, HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS
Witnessed and sealed by the Permanent Secretary — Ministry of Culture & Tourism and the Deputy Director — SI National Museum.
Numbered Certificate
Each acquisition carries the official Certificate of Authenticity, on record with the Ministry of Culture & Tourism and the SI National Museum.
Metallurgical Report
Independent analysis of the cut-section composition is available on request for every piece in the catalog.
Secured Transfer
Acquisitions are handled as high-value cargo transfers, with insured logistics and verified chain of custody.
Require the full archaeological dossier for a specific artifact? Every report is prepared on request, ahead of acquisition.
Request Archaeological ReportVerified by three independent institutions
Every consignment of OJDC material has been independently assayed or technically assessed by a government-certified mint, a national museum, and a UK-based metallurgical research institute. The full reports are available to view and download below.
India Government Mint, Mumbai
Assay Report · Certificates GA-40 to GA-44 · 11 October 2022
Five sealed samples of metal scrap drawn from the OJDC consignment (Container MAGU2472741) were independently assayed at the India Government Mint on 27 July 2022. All samples confirmed iron as the base metal (96–98%) with Platinum-Group Metals at concentrations far above standard ore-grade thresholds.
Solomon Islands National Museum
WWII Wrecks & War Relics Licence Export Permit · 25 January 2023
Mr/Dr Reginald Aipia, Managing Director of Ontong Java Development Co. LTD — Honiara, Solomon Islands — is granted permission to export scrap ancient metal under the Protection of Wrecks and War Relics Act 1980, signed by the Minister of Culture & Tourism, Solomon Islands.
Materials Processing Institute, UK
PGMs from Pig Iron — Independent Technical Report
MPI's independent XRF analysis of OJDC ingots recorded total PGM concentrations of 1,600–4,100 ppm (parts per million). For context, 'good' PGM ore grades at 5–15 ppm. MPI estimated £8M–£12M of PGM value in the 140-tonne material supply at full market price, with processing trials underway.
The recovery depot, Luaníua — each salvaged bar wrapped, weighed, and labelled with its unique OJDC inventory number before entering secured storage.
Insured, labelled, and traceable
A selection of the recovered bars, as recorded on site. Every piece carries a unique OJDC inventory number and a logged weight — the first link in an unbroken chain of custody from the reef to the vault.
Full inventory, weight ledgers, and the recovery permit are available on request to confirmed acquiring parties.
