Roman pendant unearthed near Alton fetches £30,000

The artefact is inscribed with the letters TI CAESAR

A solid gold Roman pendant unearthed in Hampshire about 10 years ago has been auctioned off for £30,000 in London.

Inscribed with the letters TI CAESAR, the artefact is cast as a bust of the Roman emperor wearing a laurel wreath and dates back to the first Century AD.

Peter Beasley, 68, from Portsmouth, used a metal detector to uncover the thumb-size piece of jewellery in a field near Alton, in December 1999.

It was bought by an anonymous telephone bidder, Timeline Auctions said.

Mr Beasley also helped to uncover 250 Roman coins in 1996, in an area close to where the pendant was found.

The haul was purchased by the British Museum for £100,000.