A Roman coin believed to be the first of its kind found in the UK has sold for nearly £5,000

Ron Walters, 76, from Kingswinford, West Midlands, found the coin with his metal detector in Wall Heath near Dudley last year. Mark Hannam, from Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge, said the coin was bought by a collector from Scotland for £4,700 on Friday. “Even though it’s been in the soil for over 1,900 years, he’s very pleased to add it to his collection,” said Mr. Hannam.

The coin, which dates to AD69, is thought to be the only one of its kind to be found in the British Isles. It portrays the emperor Aulus Vitellius, who ruled for just eight months during a period of civil war known as the “Year of the Four Emperors”. “To find a coin from AD69 is incredibly rare,” said Mr. Hannam. “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 farmer on whose land the coin was unearthed will keep half the proceeds from the sale and Mr. Walters, as the finder, will get the rest. “It’s not just the money,” he said before the sale. “It’s the historic value. It’s a once in a lifetime find.”

The coin went for considerably less than the only other similar artefact to go under the hammer, which was sold last year in Switzerland for around £50,000. But Mr. Walters told BBC Radio WM he was happy with the sale. “Anything’s a bonus,” he said. “Normally the things that you find, you put in your collection because they’re not worth selling on.” He is planning to put the proceeds towards some repairs to his motorhome – and to continue with his metal-detecting hobby. “It’s surprising what comes up – not just coins, it can be anything. Belt buckles, buttons – they’ve all got a story to tell.”

Cover Photo: Fieldings Auctioneers