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Can I keep treasure I find in the UK?
There’s an unlimited fine or up to 3 months in prison for not reporting treasure. You can voluntarily report items to the Portable Antiquities Scheme if they are not treasure but are still of cultural or historical interest. This is to help keep a record of all finds in England and Wales.
What are the rules for finding treasure?
To qualify as treasure trove, an object must be precious, it must be hidden, and there must be no proof of its property or reasonable presumption of its former ownership. Unlike under English common law, treasure is not restricted to only gold and silver objects.
Is treasure hunting illegal in UK?
The Act is designed to deal with finds of treasure in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It legally obliges finders of objects which constitute treasure (as defined in the Act) to report their find to their local coroner within 14 days.
What happens if you find artifacts on your property?
If it’s on your property, it’s yours to keep. Unless you sign a contract with a government agency, archaeologists, or educational institution which allows the other party to excavate on your property and keep the artifacts that are found, the artifacts are your property.
What is classed as treasure UK?
For the purposes of the Act, ‘Treasure’ is defined as being: All coins from the same find, if it consists of two or more coins, and as long as they are at least 300 years old when found. If they contain less than 10\% gold or silver there must be at least 10 in the find for it to qualify.
What happens to treasure found in the UK?
Once they have officially been identified as treasure they become the property of the Crown and can be acquired by museums for public display. The DCMS said the new rules would have protected discoveries like that of a Roman figurine, depicting a British person, found near Chelmsford, Essex, in 2014.
What are the rules for reporting treasure and archaeological finds?
There are different rules about historic or valuable items in Scotland and Northern Ireland. You need to check if what you’ve found counts as treasure or wreck material. You must report treasure to the local coroner within 14 days of finding it. The Portable Antiquities Scheme can help you report treasure and archaeological finds.
What legislation protects ancient monuments in England?
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act (1979) The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act (1979) is still the major piece of legislation concerned witht he protection of archaeological sites / ancient monuments in England.
Do I need planning permission for an archaeological dig?
Depending on what they find, and the potential for archaeological sites to be disturbed, various conditions may be put on planning permission, ranging from initial geographical surveys to a complete redesign.
How does an archaeology officer check planning applications?
When a developer submits a planning application for a new project, the local council’s archaeology officer (curator) will check the given area against the local Sites and Monuments Record.