'Unique' collection of Roman coins fetches £17,000 at Shropshire auction after 'fierce' bidding
A collection of 501 Roman coins has gone under the hammer in Shropshire and fetched £17,000 after attracting interest from around the world.
The collection, described as "unusual" due to the quantity and condition of the coins. had originally come from a collector in London and were sold in several lots by Shrewsbury based auctioneers Halls - where the collector's niece is based.
The coins, which date from AD79 to AD350, had an original guide price of £10,000.
Halls auctioneer Alexander Clement said: "They were sold in a number of lots, although many, but not all, went to the same buyer."
He added that bidding for the collection had been "fierce", with buyers and collectors from across the UK and as far away as the USA vying for the coins.
"While Roman coins do come up for auction quite regularly, this collection was quite unique," said Mr Clement.
"Roman coins often come in as one or two coins or single digit collections usually from collectors or detectorists, but it is rare to get a collection of this size.
"The original collector had been very discerning and built most of his collection up in the 60s before selling some of his lesser coins and investing in better coins, which made this collection unique in the quantity and condition of the coins."
