Five copper coins found in northern Australia could rewrite the country's history. The coins are thought to date back as early as the 900s and are believed to have originated in Africa.

Written history of Australia only dates back to 1606, when Dutch explorers landed in the region, and researchers from Indiana University want to find out how the thousand-year-old copper coins ended up on the other side of the Indian Ocean six centuries earlier.

Lead researcher, Australian scientist Ian McIntosh said the coins were first discovered by soldier Maurie Isenberg in 1944.

Isenberg was stationed on the Wessel Islands - an uninhabited group of islands of the north coast of Australia - during World War II and he found the coins buried beneath the sand.

In 1979, Isenberg sent the coins to an Australian museum and now McIntosh wants to investigate how they arrived on the island.

To read the complete article, see:The discovery that could rewrite Australian history: Ancient copper coins suggest the country was found SIX CENTURIES before Captain Cook arrived(www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2327362/Coins-suggest-Australia-discovered-SIX-CENTURIES-Captain-Cook-arrived-island.html)

To read the complete article, see:Ancient discovery set to rewrite Australian history(www.theage.com.au/national/ancient-discovery-set-to-rewrite-australian-history-20130519-2juck.html)

Historians credit James Cook with discovering Australia back in 1770. But a long ignored discovery of five African copper coins in its Northern Territory, along with a map with an "X" on it, suggests somebody beat him to it - and by a long shot.

If validated, the coins could mean seafarers from distant lands reached Australia much earlier than previous thought.

Princeton numismatic curator Alan Stahl writes:

George Cuhaj of Krause Publications adds:

Chris Fuccione contacted Ian McIntosh, the main researcher from Indiana University. Apparently the illustration used in this article is NOT one of the coins in the hoard after all. McIntosh writes:

To read the complete article, see:These 1,000-year-old coins could rewrite Australia's history(http://io9.com/these-1-000-year-old-coins-could-rewrite-australias-hi-509355104)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:ANTHROPOLOGIST SEEKS ORIGIN OF REMOTE AUSTRALIAN COIN HOARD(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n10a30.html)
14TH CENTURY SILVER COIN FOUND IN MAINE(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n37a23.html)