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

Ancient coin is only the second of its kind to ever be found

Israeli archeologist Donald T. Ariel, head curator of the coin department at the Israel Antiquities Authority holds up the 24 karat gold coin. (Photo Credit: Galli Tibbon / AFP)

Israel's Antiquities Authority says a hiker has found a rare, nearly 2,000-year-old gold coin. The coin is the second of its kind, with the other being in the possession of London's British Museum.

The coin, from the year A.D. 107, bears the image of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. It was minted as part of a series of coins honouring Roman rulers. Antiquities Authptiry official Donald T. Ariel said the coin may have paid part of the salary of a Roman soldier.

According to the Gospel of Luke, Augustus issued the census that had Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem, where the baby Jesus was born.

The hiker, Laurie Rimon found the coin in Israel's eastern Galilee region. Read more here.