Medieval coin might revise previous notions of Indian Ocean trade & commerce.

A coin from the East African civilization of Kilwa was discovered on an Australian island near Darwin earlier this year. This isn't an isolated case as an RAAF serviceman discovered more Kilwa coins while stationed there during World War 2.

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The “patient” is a small copper coin found by archaeologist Mike Hermes on a field trip to the Wessel Islands, off north-east Arnhem Land, last year. He believes it to be a coin from Kilwa, more than 10,000km away in what is now known as Tanzania, dating from before the 15th century. Its surface is eroded, obscuring identifying features, but Hermes is confident.

“We’ve weighed and measured it, and it’s pretty much a dead ringer for a Kilwa coin,” he says. “And if it is, well, that could change everything.”