|
 |
|
| Last updated at 11:48 AM on 13/06/08 |
|
— Photos released by the Colony of Avalon Foundation |
|
|
Gold coin discovered at Colony of Avalon archaeological dig  
The Telegram
A Scottish gold coin was discovered at the Colony of Avalon Archaeological dig in Ferryland during excavations on Tuesday, according to a news release by The Colony of Avalon Foundation.
The release states the coin is significant because it is the first whole gold coin ever found at an excavation in the province.
It is a “Sword and Sceptre” coin dated 1601 issued during the reign of King James VI of Scotland two years before he ascended the throne of England as King James I following the death of Queen Elizabeth I.
The coin was struck using 22 karat gold and now weighs about five grams. When originally issued in Scotland, the coin had a value of six pounds (120 shillings) which would have represented a significant amount of money for its owner.
It features the crowned arms of Scotland (rampant lion) on the obverse surrounded by the Latin inscription, “James VI, by the Grace of God, King of Scots.” The reverse features a crossed sword and sceptre, flanked by two thistles all below a crown. The reverse Latin legend reads, “The safety of the people is the supreme law.”
The coin is currently being examined and cleaned at the Colony of Avalon Conservation Laboratory and was to be on display starting today.
According to the Colony of Avalon website, the colony was founded by George Calvert, later Lord Baltimore, in 1621. The Ferryland settlement lay “forgotten” and its remains lay undisturbed for centuries.
Constructed of stone, the buildings have left substantial remains. Archaeologists have uncovered over a million artifacts to date — gold rings, Portuguese ceramics and other unusual objects — as well as a smithy, a stone-walled well, a sea-flushed privy and the “prettie street” described in very early accounts.
There is evidence of earlier occupations by Beothuk Indians and Basque fishermen.
|
13/06/08
|
Comments: |
|
This Conversation is Moderated. What is moderation?
|
| What does moderation mean? |
 |
The Telegram is committed to encouraging intelligent discourse among our readers and to creating a forum where diverse views and opinions on a wide range of topics can be aired. The forum you are in now is a result of our continuing efforts to facilitate a dynamic online conversation among our readers.
This is a moderated conversation. Once a reader follows the steps to register and submit his or her comment it goes to a moderator for the website. Once it has been approved, your comment will be displayed on the website. A comment may be edited or deleted for reasons of content or language.
All readers wishing to join a conversation must first sign in and agree to the Terms of Usage, which explain the rules of acceptable content.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael from Ontario writes: Geez I wonder if that Scottish coin belonged to my Rose (ancestors) who came from Scotland, they had tartan to prove it! They arrived I believed in Newfoundland circa the 17th century andf because of close connection to that part of Newfoundland , that which we know as Ferryland, only causes me to wonder? Mind you as hard as it is for me to prove it, it is much harder I believe for anyone to disprove it?
|
| Posted 13/06/2008 at 3:13 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
NOTE
The management of this site emphasizes that it is in no way liable for persons, physical or legal, who are hosted here. Moreover, the managers of this site may not be held liable for errors and omissions that may slip into the information displayed in these reader comments. Everyone who submits a comment should read, understand and agree to the Terms of Usage for this section.
|
|
|
|
1
