Israeli hiker finds rare, 2,000-year-old gold coin

The ancient coin appears to be only the second of its kind to have been found, the other being in the British Museum

Dr. Donald Ariel of the Israeli Antiquities Authority displays an extremely rare 24-karat gold coin showing the Roman Emperor Augustus and dated to almost 2,000 years ago in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem (EPA)

The Israel's Antiquities Authority has claimed a hiker has found a rare, nearly 2,000-year-old gold coin.

The authority said on Monday that the ancient coin appears to be only the second of its kind to have been found.

It said London's British Museum possesses the other coin.

The coin, from the year AD107, bears the image of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire.

It was minted as part of a series of coins honoring Roman rulers.

Antiquities Authority official Donald T. Ariel said the coin may have paid part of the salary of a Roman soldier.

The hiker, Laurie Rimon, happened upon the shiny coin on a recent walk in Israel's eastern Galilee region. The authority said she will receive a certificate of appreciation for handing over the coin.

AP