FIRST-TIME METAL DETECTORIST FINDS ROMAN GOLD HOARD

Wesley Carrington was using the most basic metal detector when 20 minutes into his first foray he found 55 gold solidus dating back more than 1,600 years.

He had begun his search in woodlands near St Albans, Herts, after watching video clips on metal detecting on the online site YouTube.

Mr Carrington said "I just thought I would give it a go. I would say after about 20 minutes it beeped. I found a coin that was gold-coloured, with a Roman figure on it."

Days later he returned to the Berkhampstead shop where he had purchased his £135 metal detector and showed them his haul.

Shop owner David Sewell and business partner Mark Becher were "gobsmacked" when he produced the coins and asked what he should do with them.

Mr Sewell said: "He came to see us and we looked at it and thought: 'Is this a stunt?'".

They then contacted the local council's museum service and a further search of the site unearthed another 104 coins.

At an inquest in Hatfield yesterday, coroner Edward Thomas declared the find treasure trove and passed the matter to the British Museum to put an estimate on the items.

The value of the hoard, believed to be more than £100,000, will then be split between Mr Carrington and the landowner.

To read the complete article, see: I dug up £100,000 of gold the first time I tried metal detecting (www.express.co.uk/news/weird/405451/I-dug-up-100-000-of-gold-the-first-time-I-tried-metal-detecting)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web