The SS Tilawa was a British passenger and cargo ship managed by the British India Steam Navigation Company. In November 1942, while traveling from Bombay to Durban, the ship was struck by a Japanese submarine and sank in the Indian Ocean. It was carrying a significant shipment of silver—around 2,400 bars weighing 60 tons. This precious cargo was finally recovered in 2017 and has since been used to mint a special 2025 edition of the British Silver Britannia. BullionMax now offers the 2025 1 oz Tilawa Privy British Silver Britannia Coin, made with silver from the original Tilawa haul.

Coin Highlights:

• Arrives in a protective plastic flip!
• 29th release in the British Silver Britannia series!
• Minted using silver recovered from the SS Tilawa shipwreck!
• Features a special SS Tilawa privy mark!
• Contains 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver in Brilliant Uncirculated condition.
• Issued a face value of 2 Pounds (GBP) by the United Kingdom.
• Obverse shows King Charles III.
• Reverse includes the classic Britannia image with the Tilawa privy.
• A blend of historical silver and modern minting!

Each 2025 1 oz Tilawa Privy British Silver Britannia Coin comes in Brilliant Uncirculated condition and is packaged in an individual flip. These coins were produced by The Royal Mint using silver recovered from the SS Tilawa wreck, which had rested on the ocean floor for nearly 75 years. Each coin is stamped with a unique Tilawa privy to commemorate the source of the silver.

The SS Tilawa’s silver was recovered by Argentum Exploration Ltd., a company specializing in deep-sea recovery. With advanced sonar tools and remotely operated vehicles, they located the wreck over 2,700 meters below the surface and brought up most of the silver bars. The ship’s sinking tragically resulted in the loss of 280 lives out of the 732 people on board.

The obverse of the coin features a left-profile bust of King Charles III. This portrait, created by Martin Jennings, is the first used by The Royal Mint for His Majesty. As is common in Commonwealth coinage, the king is shown without a crown.

On the reverse, Britannia stands strong beside the commemorative Tilawa privy mark. The artwork, originally designed by Philip Nathan in 1987, remains the standard for this long-running series. The privy itself displays a nautical anchor encircled by the name “S.S. Tilawa” and the year “1942.”

Questions when you purchase silver bullion? The BullionMax team is here to help at 800-729-3202, through our web chat, or by email. Let us know how we can assist!