A rare Roman coin discovered by a metal detecting enthusiast in a muddy field is set to fetch up to £30,000 at auction.
The 1,700-year-old gold coin – is one of only four known examples of a Gold One and Half Solidus from the reign of Emperor Licinius I – in existance.
The enthusiast, who has asked to remain anonymous, was on his way home from an organised search of an historic site when he came across what he thought was the gold foil from a pack of Cadbury’s Rolos.
He said: “After an hour and a half of trudging through rain and mud at this site, making a couple of minor finds I got a signal and I decided to dig it up.
“Six inches down I dug out a clod of earth and sticking out of the side was the unmistakable glint of gold.
“Having dug lots of sweet wrappers up over the years, I thought it was the foil from a packet of Rolos but on pulling it out of the mud I saw it was a coin.”
Christopher Webb, head of the Coins Department at Dix Noonan, where the coin is being sold, said: “this is an incredibly exciting discovery which was made in the most unpromising circumstances.
He added: “the three other known examples of this type are all in some of Britain’s most famous museum collections.”
The coin, found in Wiltshire, is due to be sold on December 5th.
