Rare gold Roman coin believed to be the first of its kind ever found in Britain

Ron Walters, 76, finally struck gold after six years of searching the same farmer's field near Dudley, West Mids., last May.

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.

The coin, which is a gold aureus of emperor Aulus Vitellius and dates back to 69AD, was recently discovered by Ron Walters, 76, in a farmer's field near Dudley, West Mids.

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.

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

Ron, a retired welder, had been searching the same field on and off for spring and autumn periods over the last six years after buying a metal detector for himself in 2017.

He finally struck gold last May after being told by his wife to "bugger off out for a bit".

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.

"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.

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

"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., on March 27.

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.

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.

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.