Rare Caractacus coin that was thought not to exist will be sold next month

The coin was made at the behest of Caractacus, an important British leader who battled the invading Romans.

A coin thought not to exist will be sold next month, having already been sold once before after being discovered by a metal detectorist in a Berkshire field.

The coin was made for Caractacus, an important British leader who fought against the invading Romans.

Experts say it is the most important Iron Age British coin.

It was thought that no Caractacus coins survived, but this one was found near Newbury in 2019 by a metal detectorist.

It has a horseman and the name Carat on the reverse, now thought to refer to Caractacus, and a cereal head with the name Cunobelinus, Caractacus’s father, on the obverse.

It was sold in 2020 for £88,000.

Now it will be sold again on March 12 by Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s, with an opening price of £70,000.

Caer Caradoc in Shropshire is said to be the site of Caractacus’s last stand, according to local legend, although the evidence is not strong.

Caractacus was one of the main figures in the anti-Roman resistance, and was finally defeated at the Battle of Caer Caradoc (Caradoc’s Fort in Welsh - Caractacus was also known as Caradoc) in about 50 AD.

After his capture, Caractacus is said to have impressed his enemies so much that he was allowed to live out his days in relative luxury in Rome.

Dominic Chorney, an ancient coin specialist at Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s, told the Daily Mail: “While we often sell extremely rare coins at Baldwin’s, it’s unusual to offer something completely unique and of national importance.

“We’re all excited to be auctioning this beautiful piece of British history.”

Metal detectorists dream of making finds like this.

This month, a Henry III gold penny discovered with a detector was auctioned for £648,000, and in October 2024 a hoard of Norman silver pennies was sold for £4.3m.

Such finds are usually covered by the Treasure Act, and coroners can decide that some are of such national importance that they should be offered to a museum for a price set by a panel of experts.