A rare ancient Roman brooch in the form of a horse was discovered by an amateur metal detector in England.

The copper-alloy piece, which dates to about 1,800 years ago when Rome ruled Britain, is a mere two inches long.

Jason Price, 48, explained to The Daily Mail that he found the brooch under eight inches of soil in a ploughed field.

2,000-YEAR-OLD SILVER DAGGER USED BY ROMAN SOLDIERS UNEARTHED BY SCIENTISTS

This copper-alloy horse figurine was discovered in a field in the village of Leasingham.

This copper-alloy horse figurine was discovered in a field in the village of Leasingham. (Lincolnshire Country Council)

"You can imagine my surprise when my detector started buzzing," he told The Daily Mail. "At first I thought it was a piece of litter, but as I cleaned it off, my jaw dropped open. There it was – a horse brooch. I was shaking."

The brooch has reportedly been sent to the Collection Museum in Lincoln and will go on display there.

"I've found things like coins before, but never anything like this," Price said. "Absolutely amazing!"

Lisa Brundle, the finds liaison officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "This brooch is an exciting and rare discovery. It depicts a fairly realistic horse with an outstanding level of detail and is in remarkable condition – it even has the pin still attached!"

COULD THIS WEIRD PERSONAL BUBBLE KILL CORONAVIRUS?

The tiny brooch is only two inches long and will be put on display at a museum in London.

The tiny brooch is only two inches long and will be put on display at a museum in London.

She explained that the brooch is exceedingly rare -- only the second one to have been found in the United Kingdom.

GET THE FOX NEWS APP