Metal detectorist from Wiltshire finds huge and rare Portuguese gold coin from the 15th century

A large gold coin found by a metal detectorist at a farm in Wiltshire will be sold at auction this week.

62-year-old Mick Edwards found the coin which is estimated to be worth up to £30,000.

It comes from the reign of Manuel the First, between 1495 and 1521, is the first to ever be found in Britain and comes from Portugal.

It's 36 millimetres in diameter and weighs over 35 grams.

Mick, who lives in Peterlee in County Durham, works as a Civil Servant and has been metal detecting for ten years.

He said: “I was staying on the farm near Etchilhampton in Wiltshire with my wife after celebrating 35 years of marriage from the day before.

"So far I had only found some broken crotal bells, so I walked to the top of the field for a final effort before breakfast, taking just three more steps I received a clear signal which sounded like a large copper coin.”

“I was dumbstruck and just sat looking at the coin unable even to breathe. I could see the cross on the coin and thought it was probably Spanish but later found out it was Portuguese from the Kings name Manuel.”