Archaeologists working on the East West Rail project have uncovered a rare Roman coin and other artefacts dating back around 1,740 years during excavations in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, England. The find, announced by East West Rail on 1 July, offers fresh insight into Roman-era Britain and highlights how major infrastructure projects can unexpectedly uncover significant archaeological heritage.

The coin bears the name of the Roman emperor Carausius, who ruled a breakaway British and Gallic empire in the late third century. It was discovered as construction crews restore and build new rail links between Oxford and Cambridge, with archaeologists excavating a series of trenches across southern England ahead of and during construction work.