A historic gold coin believed to have been found by a King’s Lynn road worker has sold for nearly £20,000.

The road worker’s daughter found it in his possessions after he died and took it to an auction- house valuation day in the town in November.

The Western European Solidus coin is slightly larger than a 20p piece and is thought to date from around 830 to 850 AD.

It is believed it would have found its way to Anglo-Saxon England through trade.

A spokesman for Lockdales, the Ipswich-based auctioneers which sold the coin, said: “The owners of the coin had no idea that it might be of any significant value, as it was kept with a few other coins of minimal value.

“They had nothing else to do on the day of our valuation day and brought it in on the off-chance that it might be of interest, but they had no expectations.

“We knew it was something important as soon as we saw it.  “The owners agreed to put the coin up for auction and we set about researching it.”

The coin was given a guide price of between £5,000 and £10,000 but the new owners paid a total of £19,346 at the auction at the weekend.

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