76-Year-Old Finds Rare Roman Coin, Strikes Gold!

Quick Smiles:

• 76-year-old Ron Walters discovers a rare Roman coin after six years of searching.
• The coin dates back to 69AD and is the first of its kind found in Britain.
• The coin was auctioned for $6,000, with proceeds shared with the landowner.

Ron Walters, a 76-year-old metal detecting enthusiast, has struck gold—literally—after six years of dedicated searching in a farmer’s field near Dudley, West Midlands.

His quest, which he pursued every spring and autumn when the crops were not in the ground, finally paid off in the most spectacular way.

On a day when he almost decided to stay home, his wife encouraged him to head out and explore.

“I was going to go one Thursday and decided against it. It was my wife who basically told me to ‘bugger off and get out the house for a bit’,” Ron shared.

And it was a good thing he listened.

After a couple of hours of searching, a promising signal led him to dig, only to lose the signal temporarily.

His persistence paid off when a second attempt revealed a gold Roman coin from 69AD nestled in a clod of earth.

Ron described the moment of discovery with excitement.

“My heart was racing, I just popped it in my pocket and went straight back home.”

This coin is believed to be the first gold aureus of Emperor Aulus Vitellius found in the British Isles, making it a significant find in the world of metal detecting.

“In metal detecting circles a Roman coin is probably among the best things you can find—that or Ancient English gold,” Ron explained.

The coin, over 1,955 years old, was auctioned, fetching $6,000.

The proceeds will be split with the field’s landowner, a common practice in such discoveries.

A senior coin specialist remarked on the coin’s rarity and condition.

“To find a coin from 69AD is incredibly rare, as most coins we find in this country are from the third and fourth centuries,” he said.

“The fact that this one has escaped ploughing in the ground for over 1,900 years and the coin is still in excellent condition is quite remarkable.”

Ron’s find serves as an inspiration to hobbyists and treasure hunters everywhere, proving that persistence and passion can lead to remarkable discoveries.

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