Does the discovery of a 16th-century English shilling along the Gorge Waterway mean Sir Francis Drake was hanging around these parts 200 years before Capt. James Cook? Probably not, but it鈥檚 an exciting discovery nonetheless.
Metal-detector hobbyist Bruce Campbell was probing the mud flats along the Gorge in December and found several coins, including a blackened specimen that turned out to be a rare English shilling issued between 1551 and 1553.
To Sam Bawlf, it鈥檚 further evidence that Queen Elizabeth I鈥檚 favourite privateer explored the sa国际传媒 coast on a secret mission in 1579, the findings of which were kept secret for years so as not to disturb England鈥檚 fragile relations with Spain. Bawlf, a former Social Credit cabinet minister, detailed his theory in his book The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake.
Archeologists and historians disputed Bawlf鈥檚 theory, saying he didn鈥檛 have evidence to support his premise, so it鈥檚 understandable that he would be excited about the discovery of the old coin.
One coin is not definitive proof that Drake was here 鈥� an artifact by itself tells little 鈥� but it鈥檚 fascinating to consider the possibility that the coin was once held by the privateer or one of his crew.
The old shilling raises more questions than answers, but sometimes the questions are more fun than the answers.
That鈥檚 quite a bargain for a mere shilling.
