Roman coins, found by Yorkshire treasure hunters who struck it lucky twice in one day, were being auctioned on Wednesday.

The amateur trio stumbled across two batches of coins buried 20 years apart in their very own "field of dreams".

The hoard could raise as much as �12,000 when it is auctioned by sellers Dix Noonan Webb, at the New Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street, London.

A total of 1,902 coins were discovered in earthenware pots buried approximately 15 feet apart on farmland in Langtoft, East Yorkshire.

'Divine intervention'

Stephen Best, who made the discovery with Jimmy Haley and Paul Rennoldson, described it as "a day we will never forget".

The coins, which are believed to have been deposited around AD 305 and AD 325, were declared treasure at an inquest at Hull Coroner's Court.

Mr Best said: "If anyone had said we would ever be involved in finding one hoard, never mind two, we would have said that it would have been easier to win the lottery.

"But that is exactly what happened. Jimmy swears that there was some divine intervention taking place on that day.

"His first find, after some time detecting, was a ring pull which he threw away.

Auction lots

"His very next signal, one minute later, was the first Roman coin and the rest is history."

After retrieving the coins, the men left the pots at the site, and contacted the Yorkshire Museum in York.

It sent experts to photograph the site, measure the find, and excavate the pots.

A total of 54 coins were retained by the museum and the finders. The remaining 1,848 will be sold in 91 lots.