Over the summer, an amateur historian in Newfoundland unearthed a 600-year-old gold coin. According to government officials, who announced the find in a statement earlier this month, it was minted in London between 1422 and 1427—and it may be the oldest English coin ever found in Canada.
After making the discovery, history buff Edward Hynes reported the coin to government officials, as is required by the province’s Historic Resources Act.
“I commend Mr. Hynes for recognizing the importance of protecting Newfoundland and Labrador’s heritage resources by reporting his discovery of this very rare artifact, and I encourage others to follow his example,” Steve Crocker, the province’s minister of tourism, culture, arts and recreation, says in the statement.
The coin was found in excellent condition. “It came out of the ground looking like it had been minted yesterday,” provincial archaeologist Jamie Brake tells CBC News’ Andrew Hawthorn.
