The rare Southampton silver penny.
A RARE coin made in Southampton 860 years ago has sold at auction for £408.
The silver penny was made in Southampton by a so-called moneyer named Sanson during King Stephen’s turbulent reign between 1135 and 1154, when there was a civil war and law and order broke down.
It was recently found in Sussex by a treasure hunter with a metal detector.
Before the auction, at Spink in Bloomsbury, London, yesterday, the Southampton penny had been expected to sell for between £300 and £500.
In the end it was snapped up by a mystery bidder for £408.
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