A hobbyist from Devon has unearthed a solid gold coin lost by a Roman soldier around 1400 years ago. Metal detector enthusiast Stephen Lovering made the discovery last week after scouting an area believed to house the remains of a lost village. Heavy to hold and about the size of a 5p piece, the Heraclius gold tremessis is believed to date between 610 and 642 AD and was preserved, in pristine condition, in the water bed. Stephen, 60, has been searching for historical artefacts since 1972 after seeing an article about metal detecting.
His first detector cost him just £15 and since then Stephen has upgraded his machines throughout his 35 years of detecting, and now uses the internet to study land and unearth Roman sites in the area.
His first detector cost him just £15 and since then Stephen has upgraded his machines throughout his 35 years of detecting, and now uses the internet to study land and unearth Roman sites in the area.
Roman gold coin found at site of lost village in Devon