A Roman brothel token depicting a couple having sex on it's face has been found near Putney Bridge.

Regis Cursan, a pastry chef at Nobu, found the coin whilst searching with a metal detector on the banks of the Thames.

Historians believe the coin is the first of it's kind to be found in Britain and was used in brothels staffed by sex slaves.

Mr Cursan, originally from France, said: "The day I made the find it was a very low, early tide and raining heavily. At first I thought it was a Roman coin, because of the thickness and diameter.

"When I rubbed the sand off the artefact the first thing I saw was the number on one side and what I thought was a Goddess on the other, so I still thought it was a Roman coin.

"Mudlarks like me often find Roman coins on the Thames foreshore, but to find something like a brothel token is a truly exciting find."

Mr Cursan made the find in autumn 2010 and donated it to the Museum of London, where it will be on display for the next three months.

Experts have estimated the coin hails from the first century AD, and suggest it may also have been used as a gaming token.

Caroline McDonald, Museum of London curator said: "This is the perfect archaeological object. It's sexy and provocative in the best sense of the word.

"The lot of a Roman sex slave was not a happy one and objects like this can help the Museum of London provoke debates about issues that are relevant to the modern city and its visitors.

"Museums should engage with these more grown-up and sometimes less comfortable topics."