About This Coin
A large copper twopence coin featuring the face of King George III, recovered by Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina on Lot 2 during the Season 6 premiere. The coin was dated 1797 and identified as a cartwheel twopence, a distinctive coin minted exclusively in that year at Matthew Boulton's Soho Mint in Birmingham, England. The cartwheel was produced using steam-powered presses capable of striking coins with unprecedented precision and force. It was made of copper rather than the usual silver, resulting in a coin significantly larger and heavier than standard twopence, which gave rise to its common name.
Approximately 720,000 cartwheel twopence coins were produced during a period when Britain faced a severe shortage of small currency. The coin's 1797 date places it just two years after the discovery of the Money Pit in 1795, making it consistent with the earliest known treasure hunting activity on the island. Gary found the coin on Lot 2 near a large granite boulder, alongside an iron spike completely embedded in the rock with several drilled holes of uniform diameter. The team identified what appeared to be a carved triangle on the boulder's face, possibly a Mason's mark. Archaeologist Laird Niven determined the site required formal archaeological evaluation before further excavation could proceed.
The cartwheel twopence is well preserved, with the portrait and inscriptions clearly legible. Its presence on Lot 2, in an area previously unexplored by the Lagina team, extends the geographic range of coin finds across the island. The coin is contemporaneous with the earliest searcher activity following the 1795 discovery and may relate either to the original depositors' final visits or to the first generation of treasure hunters who began organised excavation in the early 1800s.
Historical Context
Gary Drayton & Rick Lagina
Where It Was Found
Found at Lot 2 — Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.
