Archaeologists have unearthed a Chinese coin minted between 1667 and 1671 at a planned mine site in the Yukon, suggesting early trade with Canada's far north, the mining company announced. The 340-year-old Chinese coin was found during a dig in June within the Selkirk First Nation's traditional territory on the historic Dyea to Fort Selkirk trade route.
Information stamped on the money indicates it was minted in China's Zhili province. "The coin adds to the body of evidence that the Chinese market connected with Yukon First Nations through Russian and coastal Tlingit (aboriginal) trade intermediaries during the late 17th and 18th centuries and perhaps as early as the 15th century," said James Mooney, who led the expedition for Western Copper and Gold Corporation.
The discovery was made during a heritage impact assessment required as part of the approval process for the company's proposed Casino copper-gold-molybdenum mine, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) north-west of Whitehorse. "I was less than a meter from our archaeologist Kirby Booker when she turned over the first shovel of topsoil and I caught sight of something dangling from the turf," Mooney said in a statement. The coin was found on a promontory overlooking a river and creek tributary - a likely place for a resting place for travellers, Mooney said.
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