If You’ve Not Seen...Prepare To Drool

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-49487078

Seasons Best,
J.T.

 

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And then they became millionaires!

 

@paddyman98 - You're living in the wrong neighborhood!

 

Wow.. Everytime I see those kind of finds it does make me drool!

Thanks for sharing @J.T. Parker

 

I think I need to make a claim as Harold was my ancestor!

 

The millions of dollars is great. But, is it possible for the finders to keep any of the coins? Wouldn't you like to have one or two if you found them?

 

I'd be so tempted to pocket a couple of coins before turning them in.

 

Mr. 43,
It wouldn’t surprise me one whit if each of the finders didn’t pocket at least one example.
J. T.

 

I confess if I were the detector there'd probably be a "whoops! A couple dozen prime examples fell in me pocket! I'll put them in my collection just to be safe!"

 

I would try to make a deal...what is one or two examples out of the pile.

 

Perhaps there is a hideous penalty for squirreling away an example and not turning in all found .....e.g. taken to the tower and being forced to take high tea with Lizzy-II?
J.T.

 

It wouldn’t make any sense for the finders to keep secretly any of the hoard. Once the coroner declares it treasure, the finders and landowner are highly likely to each receive one half of the value of the hoard. If they secretly kept any of it, they would risk losing their half of the value and maybe go to jail too.

The finder of the Staffordshire Hoard in 2009 received a half share of the £3.285 million value. Would you risk that to keep a souvenir?

Cal

 

From the article:

• A reward is then offered to the finders and other relevant parties

'Offered' is the operative word in that quote. As if they could decline the 'offer' and negotiate more, or with someone else. Seems more appropriate to say a reward was given, take it or leave it, to the finders and other relevant parties.

 

Very cool it’s too bad they can’t just sell them on the open market though. What has when socialism and government takes over. I’d love to buy a couple examples

 

And add a monarchy to the mix that takes ownership of virtually everything their subjects possess.

At least a monarchy isn't devious about treating their subjects as chattel.

 

The U.K. Treasure Law is about as fair as they come. Find a coin hoard in other European countries and all you'll get is a hardy handshake if you inform the government. Big advantage in the U.K law is that finders have a real incentive to notify the government ... they don't get to keep the coins, but they do get 1/2 the value (all if they own the land too). Other countries, finders sell to the black market for a small fraction of true value and risk jail when they do. In addition to the finders getting little, the archaeological value of the find is totally lost.

Cal

 

To each their own but I'd never say a word. The true value is what someone will pay for them, black market or not.

 

I think it is very fair, more fair than a lot of places, even in the US there are places you cannot metal detect like battlefield park. You can keep some funds, other you can't.

 

Nice discussion, Group,
I recall knowing third hand of a British detectorist who found a beautiful Celtic gold ring. It was declared treasurer trove and was offered £50K.
He disputed that value and ended up receiving enough OVER the £50K to have a jeweler fashion an exact gold duplicate of the ring for a keepsake !
Bobs your Uncle,
J.T.

 

I suppose that is true, but I certainly would ask for part of my "reward" to be a sample or representative small sampling of the discovery - I really think that would only be fair, I wonder if that has been done? It would be tough to make such a find and to have nothing but modern currency to show for it - okay, not THAT tough, but still