Rare Roman coin discovered by metal detectorist expected to fetch up to £6,000 at auction

Paul Capewell, a retired builder from Selston, Nottinghamshire, described the Roman coin as his "most exciting find so far".

A silver Roman coin discovered by a metal detectorist in a field he has visited for more than 20 years is expected to fetch up to £6,000 at auction. Paul Capewell, a retired builder from Selston, Nottinghamshire, described the coin as his "most exciting find so far".

The 59-year-old, who took up the hobby with his father more than 40 years ago, found the coin issued by Emperor Trajan in AD 107 in Little Gransden, Cambridgeshire, in November 2022.

He said: "I have been visiting the same field for more that 20 years and have discovered a few Roman and Medieval coins, but this is my most exciting find so far."

The coin will be auctioned off at Noonans Mayfair in London during a sale of Ancient Coins and Antiquities on Tuesday, October 22, with an estimated value between £5,000 and £6,000. Recounting the moment he found the coin, Mr Capewell said: "Using my Equinox 800 metal detector, I only found a few shotgun cartridges, so I decided to return to my car parked at the side of the field.

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"Just five metres away from the car, I got a signal and at a depth of eight inches, I found a silver Roman coin."

He added: "I did not realise just how rare the coin was until I showed photographs to a coin dealer, and it has now been recorded with the portable Antiquities Scheme."

Nigel Mills, Coins and Artefacts Specialist at Noonans, said: “The coin was issued by the Emperor Trajan in AD 107 after he had recalled all the worn Republican coins from circulation and only two examples of this specific type have been recorded for sale in the last 25 years.

“Some of the coins in circulation dated back over 300 years and they provided a historical record of the achievements of the Roman Empire.

“Trajan issued a limited number of coins which recalled some of the events from the past.

“This coin uses the same imagery as an issue by the moneyer Titus Carisius in 46 BC.

“Titus was an ally of Julius Caesar, and this design features a bust of Juno Moneta on the obverse, with pincers, hammer and dies for striking coins on the reverse.

“A coin showing how a coin is made!”

Mr Capewell hopes to use his split from the sale of the coin to buy a new Minelab Manticore detector or put towards his heart surgery.