Summary
InSea of Thieves, gold is the lifeblood of any pirate who wants to progress in the game, as it’s the source of income for cosmetics, better voyages, and ranks within the Trading Companies. It’s not always easy to earn and takes tenacity to build, so there are standout expenditures that players may want to prioritize over other more frivolous purchases.
Some gold purchases are purely functional and serve to secure more gold. Others are about progressing and earning better titles or simply showing off a pirate’s wealth, riches, and status.Sea of Thievescontains huge choices of what to spend gold on, especially with even more customization options and ways to play from the updates. Therefore, it’s worth keeping an eye out for the shiniest and most profitable golden purchases and rewards.
Updated June 29, 2025 by Gemma Johnson:Sea of Thieves is bursting with opportunities for players to earn gold, from completing voyages to stumbling across buried treasure and beyond. However, often the trickiest part is knowing what to spend gold on in Sea of Thieves. The game is jam-packed with numerous cosmetics for players to spend money on, so knowing what to buy can sometimes feel overwhelming. Fortunately, some things could be considered better than others when considering factors like reputation or other status markers in Rare’s pirate adventure game.
Although every pirate likely has their preferences, having a good eye for the best items to spend gold on in Sea of Thieves is crucial to avoid spending hard-earned money on frivolous purchases. It’s also about knowing where to look when searching for things to buy, especially the most recent changes to the game’s menu systems.
1Trading Company Shop Cosmetics
Proudly Display Reputation And Allegiance To Sea Of Thieves' Trading Companies
Players can unlock and buy special Trading Company Cosmetics within each Company’s shop as they level up their reputation with eachSea of ThievesTrading Company. Just speak to the Company Representative at any outpost to open their shop, or with the Reaper at the Reaper’s Hideout. Each shop is bursting with cosmetic skins or special items to buy, such as bucket skins, spyglasses, instrument skins, and more. The designs of these special cosmetics represent the unique colors and styles of each Company, such as purple for the Order of Souls.
As players raise their ranking with Trading Companies, there are even other kinds of special cosmetics to unlock and spend gold on, such as ship plushies and hooded outfits.
2Buy Unique Commendation Cosmetic Rewards
Showcase In-Game Achievements With Special Cosmetic Skins
Once players unlock certain Sea of Thieves Commendations, there is sometimes another type of in-game reward to go with it. However, these rewards aren’t free most of the time and must be bought using in-game gold or doubloons. For example, the Jacket of the Ashen Dragon costs 13,500 to purchase from any Clothing Shop once players unlock it by achieving the Tome of Curses II commendation.
It’s worth remembering to unlock and purchase these rewards as many have unique designs that showcase a player’s achievements and hard work to others. This is especially true when many take significant time or effort to complete, often through undertaking challenging activities. It’s also cool to buy cosmetics that many other players are unlikely to have as another way of standing out on the waves.
3Buy Bait For Better Fishing
Catch More Varieties Of Fish
Fishing inSea of Thievescan be one of the most relaxing things to do for those who fancy something different that also makes money. While bait isn’t necessary to fish, certain types are essential to catch specific species inSea of Thieves’best fishing spots.
Bait crates aren’t overly new, but are a helpful quality-life feature that enables players to buy a box of 50 grubs, leeches, and earthworms rather than dig them up. A crate costs 5000 gold from an Outpost Merchant or Hunters Call Seapost representative, or 3,500 gold from a Captain’s voyage shop for a bait supply. Even common fish are worth around 800 gold, with the value increasing to over 10,000 gold and beyond for rarer varieties, especially when cooked.
4Merchant Commodities To Farm Emissary Grade Points
A Small Cost For Bigger Rewards
Buying Merchant commodities is sometimes overlooked, but they can help pave the way to more gold and help increase Emissary points. At anySea of ThievesOutpost or Port Merrick, players can spend gold on boxes of unrefined tea, broken stone, unclassified gems, and more in the resources and commodities option.
Costing between 160-360 gold each, boxes of commodities are loose change inSea of Thievesthat players can cash into the Reapers first to help raise their Emissary grade and net more profits. Alternatively, players can deliver them to other Outposts via the Merchant Alliance Inventories book for a decent return on initial investment.
5Buy And Captain A Ship
Become The Proud Captain Of A Ship In High Seas
Season 7 enabled players tocaptain and name a ship inSea of Thievesfor the first time, and players can choose to buy a Sloop, Brigantine, or Galleon if they have enough gold. If players want to secure a fleet of 15 ships, they’ll need to accumulate a lot of gold, but the Sloop is the most affordable at 250,000 gold coins.
Becoming the captain of a ship is awesome and choosing a name is part of the fun, with many funny and brilliant names in circulation. It’s also possible to get the ‘A Fleeting Fancy’ achievement when players own 15 captained ships, which is an impressive feat. Owning a ship also opens the door to Captain’s voyages and other captaincy-exclusive options like ship customization.
6Complete Specific Commendations To Obtain Title Rewards
A Great Way To Unlock Company-Specific Cosmetics
While players used to have to spend gold to get new titles inSea of Thieves, these are since free to claim within individual Trading Company shop menus. This means that players no longer need to spend money on promotions with Trading Companies like the Order of Souls. However, it’s worth taking the time to look at the requirements for individual commendation rewards, as some of these could require spending a bit of gold to complete. For instance, when buying and delivering commodities for players seeking commendation titles with the Merchant Alliance.
Each Trading Company has its own set of titles, which is also a handy way to unlock more company-specific cosmetics, such as the Reaper’s Bones Costume, often considered one of thebest outfits inSea of Thieves.
7Buy A Cool Outfit
Show Off Sea Of Thieves Achievements And Progression
There may be many cool outfits to purchase in the Pirate Emporium usingSea Of Thieves' Ancient Coins. However, there are tonnes more choices available to buy using gold at outposts. Outfits are a great way of standing out and showing off a player’s individuality. They can also showcase players' progression in the game, such as the sought-after clothing and costumes with jaw-dropping prices in the Athena’s Fortune Shop accessible to Pirate Legends.
For Pirate Legends, the Athena’s Fortune Costume is one of the best outfits in the game, with its dazzling green glow and an easy way to impress other pirates while sailing the seas.
8Invest In Storage Crates And Supplies
Never Get Caught Unprepared And Increase The Chance Of Success
Spending gold on crates is essential to increase the chances of succeeding on voyages, against other players, and in World Events. Players can buy wood, fruit, and cannonballs from the Merchant Alliance representative on any Outpost, and Captained Ships now have easy access to throwables, meat supplies, and other supplies in the handy Shipwright Supply Shop.
One of thebest quality-of-life updates inSea of Thievesis the ability to purchase an empty storage crate. Although this might seem expensive at 17,500 gold, it makes barrel-looting easy pickings.
9Buy Trinkets And Trophies For Captained Ships
Show Off Renowned And Hard-Earned Customization Options
Season 7 also gave players the ability to customize their ship interior with purchasable trinkets and trophies using gold, from bonsai trees, skulls, and more. Some trinkets can be brought outright, but others need to be unlocked before purchase by progressing through certain voyages and obtaining Milestones for Captained Ships.
Adding trinkets onto shelves and hanging paintings on walls is a fun way for players to show off their individuality and style to other players. It also showcases a visual history of their epic adventures and stories, such as the portrait of the beloved Merrick, which was awarded to players who completed the ‘A Hunter’s Cry’ Adventure.
10Ship Decorations
Enhance Ship Interiors To Impress Fellow Crewmates And Other Players
Ship decorations are another awesome thing to spend gold on for captained ships, and players can choose from various options to personalize their captained ships to their delight. This is especially true of Galleons, where players can change the captain’s chair, chandeliers, and large drapes. A coordinated set of ship decorations looks impressive, especially when trinkets and trophies are added.
Players can also customize Sloops and Brigantines with options like curtains and rugs, and it’s worth spending any extra gold to make the ship’s interior look just as good as the ship set itself.
