600-Year-Old Gold Coin Discovered in Newfoundland Could Be Oldest Found in Canada

600-Year-Old Gold Coin Discovered in Newfoundland Could Be Oldest Found in Canada
Jamie Brake, Newfoundland and Labrador provincial archeologist, displays a thin English coin at the Confederation Building in St. John's on Nov. 9, 2022. The Canadian Press/Paul Daly
The Canadian Press
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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.