A rare Roman coin, discovered by a metal detectorist in a Somerset field, is expected to bring in up to £8,000 at an upcoming auction. Mike Clark, a 73-year-old from Dorset, made the incredible find during a dig on June 9, 2024.
The coin, a silver denarius from the time of Roman Emperor Carausius, was found about six inches deep in the soil.
Mr. Clark, a retired commercial fisherman with over five decades of metal-detecting experience, shared that it was his first signal of the afternoon. “I found a £1 coin first,” he said.
“Then, the next signal was something special—a silver coin. I knew right away it was a Roman denarius.”
He contacted the local authorities to have the rare find properly recorded. The coin will be sold on October 22 by Noonans Auctioneers in Mayfair, with experts predicting a value between £6,000 and £8,000.
According to Nigel Mills, a coin specialist at Noonans, the coin has a remarkable history. It shows Emperor Carausius, a Roman commander who ruled Britain and parts of northern Gaul around AD 286.
The coin features a lion holding a thunderbolt, with inscriptions hinting at a new Golden Age under Carausius’ leadership.
Although his reign was short-lived—he was assassinated just seven years later—the coin remains a significant piece of history.
Mr. Clark will share the auction proceeds with the landowner, as per UK treasure laws.