Ron Walters finally struck gold after six years of searching the same farmer's field

The 76-year-old from Kingswinford said he stumbled across the rare Roman coin, which dates back to 69 AD

A rare Roman gold coin which could be worth as much as £50,000 has been unearthed by a metal detectorist in a farmer's field in Wall Heath, near Dudley.

The coin, which is believed to be the first gold aureus of Emperor Aulus Vitellius to be recorded as a find in the British Isles, was discovered last May by Ron Walters, 76, from Kingswinford.

It is thought to have been brought to Britain by a Roman soldier who was billeted in the area during the reign of Vitellius, which lasted for less than a year in 69 AD.

The coin, which is being sold by Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge on 27 March, has been given an estimate of between £5,000-£6,000.

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.

The coin is a 19mm aureus of Aulus Vitellius, minted in Gaul in 69 AD and reading IMP AVLVS VITELLIVS CESAR AVG P IIII F IIII, with a diademed and draped bust of Vitellius to right and IVLI IMP F III around, and IVNO S around a figure of Juno standing left, holding patera and sceptre.

It is in good condition with some wear in the high points and good detail throughout.

The coin was sent to the British Museum, disclaimed and returned to Mr Walters, who contacted auctioneers to organise its sale.

Mr Walters said he will split the proceeds from the coin with the field's landowner.

He said: “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.”

Mr Walters, who has been metal detecting for six years and usually searches the same field, said he was told by his wife to “bugger off out of the house for a bit” after they had a small argument.

He added: “She said to go metal detecting or fishing or something, so I went out for a bit of a wander and had a scan around with my detector.

“I've been metal detecting for about six years now and mainly search the same field. I do get a few coins but nothing like this.

“It was an incredible feeling to find it and I'm sure it will be a moment I'll never forget.”

Mr Hannam said the coin was “a genuinely amazing find and a unique piece of history”.

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 ploughing in the ground for over 1,900 years, the coin, although still in excellent condition, is quite remarkable given its condition.”

The coin is being sold by Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge on 27 March and has been given an estimate of between £5,000-£6,000