600-year-old gold coin discovered in Newfoundland could be oldest found in Canada
A history enthusiast in Newfoundland has discovered what may be the oldest known English coin ever found in Canada.
Provincial archeologist Jamie Brake said Wednesday that he knew he was looking at something very special when Edward Hynes sent him photos of a gold coin he'd found this past summer. The coin has since been determined to be about 600 years old, which predates the first documented European contact with North America since the Vikings.
"It's surprisingly old," Brake said in an interview. "It's a pretty big deal."
How, when and why the coin wound up on the island of Newfoundland is still a mystery.
Hynes found the artifact at an undisclosed archeological site somewhere along Newfoundland's south coast. The exact location is being kept quiet, Brake said, so as not to attract treasure seekers.
Hynes was not available for an interview Wednesday, but Brake described him as a "super intelligent" man with a keen interest in Newfoundland's history. He said Hynes contacted his local heritage society right away when he first spied the coin.
"He really did exactly what we would hope someone would do under circumstances like this," Brake said.
Through consultation with a former curator at the Bank of Canada's currency museum, it was determined that the gold coin is a Henry VI quarter noble. With a face value of one shilling and eight pence, the coin was minted in London between 1422 and 1427.
That's about 70 years before John Cabot landed on Newfoundland's shores in 1497 after setting sail from the English port of Bristol.
But the coin's age doesn't mean someone from Europe was on the island before Cabot, Brake said. For example, it could have been part of a later settler's collection. It's unlikely that it was in circulation when it was lost, he said, adding that it was worth quite a lot of money in the 1400s.
"It's not the sort of thing you'd expect migratory fishers to be walking around with," he said.
Last November, officials announced the discovery of a coin in Cupids, N.L., that was minted in Canterbury, England, some time between 1493 and 1499. That coin -- a "half groat," which was worth about two pennies at the time -- was said to be the oldest English coin found in the country.
This latest discovery trumps that find. Brake described it as a thin circle of solid gold, slightly smaller than a quarter and weighing a little more than a dime. To figure out how it wound up on Newfoundland's south coast, Brake and his team will now flag the spot at which it was found as a site of interest and put together a plan to explore it.
"We're definitely interested in learning more," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members today during a ceremony at British Columbia's legislature cenotaph commemorating the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.