A UK bathroom fitter’s Roman coin discovery far surpassed auction estimates, selling for £4,400 when initial estimates were £1,350.
The coins went up for auction in London. Someone from the USA bought them online. People thought they’d sell for about £1,350. They actually sold for £4,400!
David is forty-two and shares the money. He started metal detecting for fresh air. He didn’t expect such a big find.
David found his coins on July 19, 2023. He’d been to the field many times before. He got a faint signal after searching for hours. Then, he found one coin and another nearby.
David got the farmer. They dug about two feet down. They found fifty coins in total. He wondered what they’d find deeper.
He took the coins to an expert. They kept them for museums to see. After museums returned them, he sold them.
David said the field is near a Roman Villa. Many coins were in great condition. He called it a once in a lifetime find.
He watched the auction and saw prices rise quickly. David was very excited by the sale. He plans to give most of the money to the farmer.
He said they are preserving history by detecting. He will keep using his metal detector often. David planned to celebrate with drinks that night.
The coins are called Antoninianus. Romans used them long ago. The oldest coins date to Emperor Carausius’ time. He took power in 286 AD.