A TREASURE-HUNTING husband and wife team have unearthed a rare Roman antiquity – their third major find in eight years.

Alice and David Wright, of Oakland Avenue, Littleover, discovered the 35mm gold leaf on land close to Clifton, Nottingham, on March 23 this year.

The couple, who have been seeking valuable items since 1974, were using metal-detectors when the trademark "beep" came through.

When they cleared away the soil, a small, folded gold leaf shone through. The British Museum later confirmed this was a Roman votive leaf, which would have been used as a gift at a Roman temple between the first and third centuries.

It is the third major haul the Wrights have unearthed.

In 2000, they discovered a hoard of silver groats, worth about £5,000, in a farmer's field in Tutbury.

In 2005, Alice found a silver bodkin, thought to be made in 1634 and worth £450, in Lincolnshire.

Both of those finds are now on display in museums.

The couple's latest find has been declared treasure trove by Nottingham's coroner.

David said: "When Alice heard the noise of the metal-detector, we picked away at the object to remove the soil. It was clear to us straight away it was ancient gold because of its distinctive deep-yellow colour. This is 22-carat, which means it is almost pure gold."

At the inquest, coroner Dr Nigel Chapman congratulated David and Alice on finding the treasure and sending it to the British Museum. He said: "I always say to people that while they could possibly sell it on the black market for more, it is our history, it is our past and should not be lost and should be kept in a museum."

David, 71, worked for almost 50 years at Bennetts, in Iron Gate, while Alice, 72, used to work for the British Shoe Corporation. Both really enjoy their hobby – but they're not big fans of the popular TV show Time Team.

David said: "What they do is try to find ancient buildings and discover how people lived all those years ago.

"What we do is try to find the objects and items that people from those times lost. There's a world of difference."

During a treasure inquest, the coroner has to decide whether the original owner had hidden the item with the intention of reclaiming it, or whether it was simply lost. If it is judged to be lost, it is deemed to be treasure and, therefore, belongs to the Crown.

The Wrights' coins were classed as treasure trove, so they had to go through a coroner's inquest to decide upon the coins' rightful owner. Any money made from the sale of the votive leaf to a museum will be split between the Wrights and the landowner.