Around 1954 I was snorkelling on the reef around Triggs Island (Perth suburbs WA) and saw what I thought was a washer in a pothole on the reef.  When I retrieved it I saw it was a coin the same as the one shown in this link, it was covered in marine growth which I cleaned off.

See;  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-10/old-chinese-coin-found-in-arnhem-land/5660382 

Imitation coins similar to this are sold as tokens in markets today but markets were not around in those days.

I don't have the coin now but I often wondered how it got there.

Vic if you can get your hands on a book called "1421 The Year China Discovered the World", I expect it will answer your question.

This particular book was written by a retired British submarine commander, he was fascinated by old maps, he started to backtrack some anomalies in some old maps, and uncovoured an amazing story.

It is a good read.

So much information around about stuff much earlier than conventional wisdom says.

The Mahogany Ship on the Shipwreck Coast in Victoria. The Portuguese Sword on One of the Brisbane Islands. The cache of Portuguese coins  found during the war on a beach in Darwin that were dated to the early 1400's.

The Chinese Admiral who was sent by the Emperor of China Hundreds of years prior to Capt. Cook. Van Dieman and all the others. Some of the wrecks that have been found but incorrectly attributed.

Smacks of the stuff about Vikings reaching The East Coast of America and was said to be rubbish till they found a complete Viking ship.

Personally I have an open mind and see what more evidence comes up.

I wonder what else has been found but not placed in the proper chapter of history.

Vic's coin is a case in question. Back in '54 they would have said it wasn't possible for it to be genuine. I wonder the same as Vic.... What if?

Thanks Plendo, I think I remember seeing a doco on it awhile back.

This is an interesting read too, see Chinese shipwreck off Perth etc Yuglamron;

http://www.mysteriousaustralia.com/chinesediscoverers.html 

Thanks Vic, Really interesting stuff there.

Yuglamron wrote:

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Thanks Vic, Really interesting stuff there.

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Yours too Yuglamron, sometimes I wonder what our culture and language would have been if other countries had claimed Oz first over the local inhabitants.  

Vic41 wrote:

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Yuglamron wrote:

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Thanks Vic, Really interesting stuff there.

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Yours too Yuglamron, sometimes I wonder what our culture and language would have been if other countries had claimed Oz first over the local inhabitants.  

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the way its getting sold off it won't be long and we'll find out

Pete 

Already happening Pete as you know, sadly

Now we know how the first Australians must have felt