Centuries-old Spanish coin found in St. John’s

This June, local artist Kevin-Barry Martin was metal detecting near a construction site in St. John’s, N.L., where he found a 1799 Spanish eight-reales coin.

The Spanish silver dollar was originally issued by New Spain, a Spanish colony that included parts of present-day Mexico, the U.S. and even Canada at various points in its existence from the early 1500s until 1821.

“I had myself an Indiana Jones moment,” Martin wrote on Twitter about the 220-year-old Spanish dollar, which depicts Charles IV, Spain’s king from 1788-1808.

At the same site, Martin found several Canadian pennies and an enamelled Star of David brooch.

While his coin is badly worn, but in Very Good condition they catalogue at about $65.

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