![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/000-auction-dating-around-50-853141843.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA VALUABLE coin dating back to 50BC found in a field has now sold for an eye-watering \u00a320,000.<\/p>\n
Metal detectorist Lewis Fudge was thrilled when he discovered the incredible artefact from the New Iron Age\u00a0in Hampshire.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The lucky treasure hunter dug up the coin in a farmer's field in March this year – after he got permission to detect.<\/p>\n
The find has been described by experts as "one of the outstanding discoveries of recent decades".<\/p>\n
Auctioneers said the artefact represents a new chapter in British history as it has unveiled new king. <\/p>\n
Spink Auctioneers specialist Gregory Edmund said: "This fabulous piece of prehistoric artwork completes the mental image we have when we think of Iron Age Britain – the war horse and chariot.<\/p>\n
"This is the reason I come to work; to document the discoveries of national importance and share that knowledge directly with museums and amongst academics, collectors and the public at large."<\/p>\n The gold coin is smaller than a human fingernail and it reads the name Esunertos in Latin, a previously unrecorded Iron Age ruler.<\/p>\n The coin bears the name and it dates to the very beginning of written language appearing in the British Isles.<\/p>\n Mr Edmund added: "To now add a critically important contemporary witness to those seismic events in the birth of our island's story is electrifying.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n "Esunertos was once forgotten, but now his name looms large in the historic record."<\/p>\n The incredible treasure was initially expected to fetch around \u00a34,000 – but a shocking bidding war saw the price rise to an eye-watering \u00a320,400. <\/p>\n The coin has reached a new world record after beating the Medusa Quarter-Stater set sold for \u00a310,800.<\/p>\n Lewis said: "I am over the moon, if it were not for people in the auction room I would have jumped around.<\/p>\n "The collectors I spoke to are gobsmacked. I'm so glad I did not take them up on their private offers before the auction.<\/p>\n "To think my find has generated its own Wikipedia page, is incredible."<\/p>\n According to historians, it was coined between 50 and 30 BC – shortly after Julius Caesar's first Roman raid of Britain in 55 BC.<\/p>\n Iron Age experts who studied the coin deduced it to be struck by a pre-eminent male figure dubbed "IISVNIRTOS" whose name translates as Mighty as the God Esos.<\/p>\n They believe that he possibly ruled as King from nearby Danebury Hill fort.<\/p>\n Dr John Sills from the Ashmolean Museum said: "It is one of the outstanding discoveries of recent decades in Celtic<\/span> numismatics."<\/p>\n It comes as a rare coin collection from nearly 500 years ago was unearthed – and they're worth an eye-watering sum.<\/p>\n David Cliffton was stunned when he discovered the hoard while out with his metal detector in\u00a0Worcester.<\/p>\n Rare coins and valuable notes\u00a0can be worth tens of thousands of times their face value.<\/p>\n But sometimes it's just tiny differences which make them so lucrative.<\/p>\n The most valuable coins tend to be ones with low mintage numbers or an error.<\/p>\n Those qualities typically make them valuable to collectors.<\/p>\n For example, "New Pence" 2p coins from 1983 often sell for hundreds of pounds due to a mintage mistake – they stopped being called "New Pence" in 1981.<\/p>\n Meanwhile a\u00a050p Olympic coin, which was released to celebrate the\u00a0London 2012 Olympics, has a small error where the water passed directly over the swimmers face.<\/p>\n Perhaps the safest way of selling\u00a0rare coins\u00a0is to sell them at auction – to do this, contact The Royal Mint's Collectors Service.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/crop-24425035.jpg\")
<\/picture>EASY MONEY <\/span><\/p>\nYour 2p coins could be worth \u00a31,000 each if you can spot Royal Mint blunder<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/tp-composite-harrods-sandwiches.jpg\")
<\/picture>POSH NOSH <\/span><\/p>\nHarrods sells beef sandwich for eye-watering price – can you guess how much?<\/h3>\n
Most read in Money<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/RB-COMP-MCDS-HALLOWEEN-1.jpg\")
<\/picture>HAPPY MEAL <\/span><\/p>\nI tried McDonald’s new burger & McFlurry flavour \u2013 they\u2019re unlike anything else<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/NEW-OFF-PLATFORM-TEMPLATE-2023-08-02T082033.286.webp?strip=all&w=300&h=192&crop=1\"\/)
<\/picture>LOVIN’ IT <\/span><\/p>\nMcDonald’s launches new burgers and McFlurries in huge menu shake-up today<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/newspress-collage-24437586-1697586371370.jpg\")
<\/picture>SHUTTERS DOWN <\/span><\/p>\nMajor card chain suddenly closes store as 38 branches face being axed<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/newspress-collage-24437336-1697582024090.jpg\")
<\/picture>QUICK CASH <\/span><\/p>\nMartin Lewis warns millions could be owed \u00a31,000s from their energy provider<\/h3>\n
How do I check if my coin is rare?<\/h2>\n
Read More on The Sun<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/RW-comp-Big-Brother-return-v3.jpg\")
<\/picture>![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/newspress-collage-24432441-1697552323381.jpg\")
<\/picture>