Haul of unearthed Roman coins sold for £4,400

David Dunn took up metal detecting as he was wanted to go out on his own into the fresh air after a long day working as a bathroom fitter

A haul of Roman coins discovered in a field in Leicestershire has been sold at auction for £4,400.

Metal detectorist David Dunn unearthed 50 coins, which date back to the 3rd Century, in a farmer's field near his home in Sapcote in July 2023.

The coins were bought by a collector in the US on Tuesday.

Mr Dunn said he had been excited to watch the coins go under the hammer.

He said: "I am really happy with the result and as I said before the sale, I will give the majority of the money to the farmer.

"What I like about metal detecting is that we are preserving history and I will continue to detect, but I will go to celebrate with a couple of drinks."

The Antoninianus coins were found in a "near perfect" condition, Mr Dunn said

The 42-year-old, who has been metal detecting as a hobby for two years, found two coins in a hole when he picked up a faint signal in a field he had visited "numerous times" before.

He then dug down a further two feet (61cm) and found more of what were later identified as Antoninianus coins.

"Many of the coins that I found were in really good condition with perfect portraits – it was a once-in-a-lifetime find," Mr Dunn said.

He reported the coins to his local finds officer, who spent a year offering them to various museums, which did not wish to claim them.

The coins carry an image of Emperor Carausius

Coins expert Alice Cullen, from auctioneers Noonans, said: "The Antoninianus was a coin used during the Roman Empire thought to have been valued at two denarii.

"This hoard dates from the reigns of Carausius who usurped power in 286 after the Carausian Revolt, and declared himself emperor in Britain and northern Gaul."