Metal detectorist strikes gold after finding rare Roman coin in field

A gold Roman coin believed to be the first of its kind ever found in Britain is set to fetch thousands at auction after being unearthed by a metal detectorist.

A metal detectorist is set to strike gold after finding a rare Roman coin in a field.

The gold coin, which is believed to be the first of its kind ever found in Britain, is set to fetch thousands at auction.

It was unearthed by 76-year-old Ron Walters in May last year after being told by his wife to "bugger off out for a bit".

The coin, which dates back to 69AD, is a gold aureus of emperor Aulus Vitellius.

It is believed to be the first of its kind to be recorded as a find in the British Isles and they can be worth as much as £50,000.

The 1,955-year-old coin was then sent to the British Museum, disclaimed and returned to Ron who contacted auctioneers to organise its sale.

(Black Country History Hunters via SWNS)

Great grandfather-of-seven Ron, of Kingswinford, West Mids., will split the proceeds from the sale with the field's landowner.

Ron said: "I'd been searching this field on and off for six years near Wall Heath, only in spring and autumn when the crops weren't sown.

"I was going to go one Thursday and decided against it and it was my wife who basically told me bugger off and get out the house for a bit.

"And I was glad I did. I was out for a couple of hours and I picked a signal up. I started digging a bit but then I lost the signal.

The front of the coin. (Black Country History Hunters via SWNS)

"I managed to get this reading again from a clod of earth about 2ft away from me, I broke it open and then this coin dropped into my hand.

"My heart was racing, I just popped it in my pocket and went straight back home.

"In metal detecting circles a Roman coin is probably among the best things you can find, that or Ancient English gold.

More from this section

"And there's nothing like this been found in England before by all accounts. I can only imagine a soldier traveled with it, possibly via France.

Ron Walters (center) with Jamie and Steven from Black Country History Hunters. (Black Country History Hunters via SWNS)

"It was really interesting to find something of such historical importance. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does at auction."

The coin has been given an estimate of between £5,000-£6,000 and will be sold by Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge, West Mids., tomorrow (27/3).

However, it could fetch much more as only one similar coin has ever gone through auction and was sold last year in Switzerland for around £50,000.

Mark Hannam, senior coin specialist and auctioneer at Fieldings said the coin was "a genuinely amazing find" and "a unique piece of history."

The back of the coin. (Black Country History Hunters via SWNS)

He added: "To find a coin from AD69 is incredibly rare, as most coins we find in this country are from the third and fourth centuries, and we are talking about a time when the gold was at its purest level.

"The fact that this one has escaped plowing in the ground for over 1,900 years the coin although still in excellent condition is quite remarkable given its condition."

Vitellius was a Roman emperor who ruled for a brief eight-month turbulent period in 69 AD, a year famously known as the "Year of the Four Emperors."

He came to power after the defeat of Emperor Otho in a civil war between rival claimants to the imperial throne.

Mark Hannam of Fieldings Auctioneers with the Gold Roman coin believed to be first of its kind ever found in Britain, unearthed in Dudley, West Mids. (Fieldings Auctioneers via SWNS)

Vitellius' reign was short and marked by extravagance and poor decision-making.

His government was characterized by indulgence in luxury, feasting, and an excessive lifestyle, which contrasted with the growing instability within the empire.

Vitellius made few efforts to restore the moral and administrative order of the state, and his rule was poorly received by many Romans.