TWO extremely rare Roman coins found near Westbury have sold at auction for a total of £16,000.

The coins were found at an undisclosed location by a metal detectorist in 2023 and were sold at the Stanley Gibbons Baldwins auction house in The Strand, London.

The two denarii were minted by the Emperor Carausius who took over Britain in AD286 and ruled until AD293.

Dominic Chorney, Head of Ancient Coins at Baldwin’s, said: “What was really interesting about his reign was that silver coins hadn't circulated in the Roman Empire for decades, and he made an effort to mint virtually pure silver coins as soon as he became emperor in Britain and the part of Northern France known as Gaul.

“Most of what we know about Carausius comes from his coinage, which was extensive.

He used it to try to legitimise himself in the eyes of his soldiers and the population of Britain.

“He has a very distinctive portrait, a thick neck and fierce-looking face, and this was an attempt to make him look like he was ready for anything, I think.

“Silver coins of Carausius are very rare.

“Because of their rarity, these coins can command very high prices.”

The reverse of the coins featured Fides Miletum who represented faith in the army and Uberitas, a goddess who personified plenty.

One coin shows Carausius holding a globe, while the other coin features a bust of Carausius.

The first coin is one of only two specimens and is believed to be the only one of its kind to have been sold.

The other is one of only three known examples.

In Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain, written in the 1130s, Carausius is a Briton of humble birth who seizes power after persuading the Roman Senate to give him command of a fleet to defend Britain from barbarian attack.

Carausius was eventually assassinated by his finance minster Allectus in a power struggle, who stabbed him to death, and ruled himself for three years.