Ancient Egyptian coins bearing the name and image of the biblical Joseph have reportedly been discovered by archaeologists.

The coins were discovered among a multitude of unsorted artefacts stored at the Museum of Egypt, reports Cairo's Al Ahram newspaper.

This is a significant find - and will provide scientific evidence countering the claim by some historians that coins were not used for trade in ancient Egypt.

Many Egyptologists believe that a bartering system was used instead of currency.

The minting of the coins matches the period in which Joseph was regarded to have lived in Egypt, say researchers at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

"A thorough examination revealed that the coins bore the year in which they were minted and their value, or effigies of the pharaohs [who ruled] at the time of their minting."

"Some of the coins are from the time when Joseph lived in Egypt, and bear his name and portrait," said the report, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Prompted by the discovery, Dr Sa'id Muhammad Thabet, head of the MEMRI research team, is now hunting for Koranic verses that speaks of coins used in ancient Egypt.

Studies by Dr. Thabet's team have revealed that what most archaeologists took for a kind of charm, and others took for an ornament or adornment, is actually a coin.

"Several [facts led them to this]: firstly many such coins have been found at various [archeological sites]."

"Also they are round or oval in shape, and have two faces: one with an inscription, called the inscribed face, and one with an image, called the engraved face - just like the coins we use today," the report added.