Here is a long article on metal detecting and Treasure Trove in Scotland: https://www.popsci.com/science/scottish-treasure-found-metal-detector/ The bronze age "Peebles hoard," including a sword and implements for horses, was found and reported by detectorists before it was dug up by archaeologists. It shows how good laws about treasure can help both detectorists and archaeologists to get what they want.
The UK seems to have aligned all interests when it comes to finds. Academics, museums, and society benefits while the finders are compensated.
Interesting. Thank you for sharing. I do metal detect here in Norway and think it is a great hobby. I enjoy finding buckles for some reason. Been detecting for 3 years now. Just bought a new Minelab Equinox 800, and sold my Makro racer 2. It is a totally different detector, and guess I needs a lot of hours to learn it good. I will enclose pic of my best find so far. It is a fibula from ca year 550. Found it last year in Vestfossen in Viken community here in Norway
Spectacular read. Very nuanced and I could picture myself sleeping next to the hoard to protect it, with them. Very dedicated and patient of the finder to carefully, methodically, and slowly uncover the find and then re-bury it so he could alert the "Treasure Trove" office. Not a normal metal detecting dig. Usually, it's like a groundhog digging, with dirt, roots, and aluminum pieces flying everywhere. EDIT: Gorgeous find. Congratulations.
Wow! That is a beautiful find. How do Treasure Trove laws work in Norway? How does the law balance the interests of the finder, the landowner, and the state/archaeologists/museums?
Coins older than 1650 and artifacts older than 1537 belong to the state. It must be submitted. If there is additional pay, it is shared between the detectorist and the landowner. You must always have the landowner's permission to detect, even in public places. Then you must apply for a permit from the municipality
This seems to be one area of coin collecting that can have a bottomless pit. Some finds that a CT has evidently, isn't old enough or worth allot to have Big Brother watch over. Is there a source that tells what the U.S. and/or State laws are concerning finds. i read an awful lot about people that find coins or jars of coins. I don't know all of the story concerning Jesse James, but I remember reading something in a magazine many years ago, that the James Brothers left Silver and Gold coins in jars all over the place. When I was 14 (in 1961), I would go on camping trips with the Boy Scouts while I lived in Missouri. We went out into the country deep in the woods. We were told that this one place we went was a hold out for the James Gang. I didn't believe what the Scout Master told us. We went into a cave, I mean it was a huge cave. We strarted looking for everything or anything that was unusual. I don't believe the area was "salted", but I found a very old coin. I didn't know anything about coins then, but our Scout Master told me it was a silver dollar and was very old and in nice condition. When I got home, I showed it to my father and he told me that we needed to go to the library and see what the coin was. It turned out to be an 1933 Large Cent in pretty nice shape. Well, I'm 73, and I didn't keep up with the coin. I did get a Merit Badge for coin collecting. However, when my father passed and then my mother, my brother and I divided our father's coin collection. It turned out that he had kept the coin all of those years, 60 years.
One minor correction: metal detecting is not illegal in Spain. There is one national law (Ley de Patrimonio Historico) which forbids metal detecting in or near archaeological areas, nature reserves, areas of historical or cultural interest. All finds of artefacts 200 years old or more must be declared to the pertinent authorities. The law does not define these areas nor how "near" is near, nor what is "cultural interest". There are 17 different regional autonomies with their own additional regulations. The only one to completely ban metal detecting is Valencia
It sounds like you did not get to keep the fibula you found. Is that right? If you could not keep it, did you get any reward?
Yeah, I did not get to keep it. I guess it takes about 3 years before I hear if I get any reward. (2 more yrs). It is a slow system. I have also found several viking buckles that I hope I get some reward for, but you never know
