A Roman coin that is believed to be the first of its kind found in the UK has sold for nearly £5,000, the BBC reports.

Ron Walters, 76, from Kingswinford, West Midlands, found the coin with his metal detector in Wall Heath near Dudley last year.

Mark Hannam, from Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge, said the coin was bought by a collector from Scotland for £4,700 on Friday.

"Even though it's been in the soil for over 1,900 years, he's very pleased to add it to his collection," said Hannam.

The coin, which dates to 69 AD, is thought to be the only one of its kind to be found in the British Isles.

It portrays the emperor Aulus Vitellius, who ruled for just eight months during a period of civil war known as the "Year of the Four Emperors.”

"To find a coin from AD69 is incredibly rare," said Hannam. "Most coins we find in this country are from the third and fourth centuries, and we are talking about a time when the gold was at its purest level.”