A second-year student from CEO Playa Blanca found an ancient coin by chance at the San Marcial de Rubicón archaeological site last Wednesday.
Photo (@Ayuntamiento de Yaiza)
The discovery of the small coin was made during a student tour of the archaeological site as part of the schools’ extracurricular activities.
Yaiza Mayor, Óscar Noda, praised the students “responsible gesture for immediately reporting the find and handing it over to be studied. The coin was not found during an excavation but was hidden on the surface hidden in the dirt.
NOT THE FIRST FIND
In 2021 a total of nine coins were found in an unprecedented discover as they are the oldest monetary elements discovered on Lanzarote.
Eight of the nine delicate and brittle ancient coins have been attributed to the coinage of Enrique II or Enrique III, the king’s profile can be seen looking to the left on one side of the coins. “This is an unprecedented finding, as it is the oldest coinage discovered in an archaeological site on the island”, explained co-director of the project, María del Cristo González, in 2022.
The researchers believe that a letter “B” can be found on the other side of the coin. Which suggests the that French explorer Jean de Béthencourt, who in 1402 lead an expedition to the Canary Islands, cemented his status in the islands by having the first letter of his initials stamped onto the currency.
The researchers will learn more as the brittle coins are meticulously cleaned and restored.
Take a look at the coins below:
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