Treasure (Rhode) Island? Henry Every and Yemeni Coins Found in New England
Associated Press ran a story about a handful of small silver coins from 17th-century
Yemen found by metal detectorists in
New England and the theory advanced by
Jim Bailey that these coins actually represent pirate plunder. In fact, he argues that they are the remains of plunder taken by
Henry Every (also written as “
Avery”) in one of the most famous pirate actions of the 17th century—the taking of the
Mughal ship
Mecca to
Surat in 1695.
The story was quickly seized upon and embroidered by online news outlets over the week that followed. This is perhaps not overly surprising. The readiness with which the Associated Press has picked it up and other news outlets have run with it is clear testimony to the story’s popular exciting qualities. However, as with most astounding discoveries and anything even remotely endorsed by Capt.