A collection of gold coins that were discovered in Kent could sell for up to £20,000 at auction.

They were found in Lenham, near Maidstone, on August 26, 2022, by metal detectorist Tony Asquith.

Coins and artefacts specialist at Noonans auction house, Nigel Mills, said: “It was the opening morning of the Joan Allen Detecting Rally – a regular event in Kent, that Tony Asquith, along with many other detectorists were hoping to find something of interest.

“Using his Minelab Equinox 800, Tony at first just found some wire and a shotgun cartridge.

“But then, he got a signal which revealed a brownish coin. He was surprised to recognise this as a Celtic stater.

“On looking down he saw what looked like a pile of chocolate buttons laid out. Putting on his glasses, Tony realised that they were all Celtic staters.”

“The staters date to around 55BC after Julius Caesar had conquered Gaul and attempted to invade Britain.

“They all have a shallow domed obverse with a dished reverse that displays an abstract or devolved horse galloping to the right with a charioteer’s arm above.

“The coins were concealed within a flint nodule which was formed 90-70 million years ago. The hollow interior would originally have contained mud and the decayed remains of marine animals.

“Ten other hoards of Iron Age gold coins contained in flint nodules have been found in Britain, but all of them are in museums”.

A collection of 35 gold coins or staters were discovered, along with nine fragments of a flint nodule, that has been reconstructed.

The collection will be offered by Noonans Mayfair at an auction on Wednesday (September 18).

It is expected to fetch an estimated £20,000.

Tony, who is retired and has been detecting for over 45 years, said: “It was amazing.

“The recent ploughing of the field must have brought the nodule to the surface, and broke it open, scattering its contents of coins.”