About This Coin
A heavily encrusted object with visible gold colouring around its edges was recovered from the Smith's Cove area by Gary Drayton during Season 6 excavations. At the Oak Island Research Centre, Paul Troutman examined it under a Grobet digital microscope at up to two thousand times magnification, revealing what appeared to be gold beneath the encrustation. Gary noted the absence of a milled edge, a feature introduced by Sir Isaac Newton at the Royal Mint in 1696 to combat coin clipping, which suggested the object may predate the discovery of the Money Pit in 1795.
Gold plating on coins of this period was not a standard minting practice. It more commonly indicates a coin that had been deliberately gilded, either for decorative purposes or as part of a personal ornament such as a pendant or brooch fitting. The absence of milling and the presence of gold surfacing together suggest a coin from the seventeenth century or earlier that was modified for personal use. Gary dated the coin to the 1700s based on its form and condition, though the lack of milling could push the date earlier.
The coin was found in the same area as a wrought iron spike dated to the 1700s, also recovered by Gary Drayton. Whether the coin arrived at its find location as a lost personal item, as part of a deliberate deposit, or through redistribution of material by tidal action has not been determined. Several other coins with precious metal content have been recovered from the island, including the seventeenth-century Spanish maravedi found in the swamp, the copper coin with possible gold plating from Lot 4, and the Portuguese copper alloy coin recovered on the eastern drumlin. The Smith's Cove coin has not been cleaned or fully identified to a specific mint or nation of origin.
Historical Context
Gary Drayton
Where It Was Found
Found at Smith's Cove — the north shore of Oak Island where the flood tunnel system was discovered.
