Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What happens if the find is Treasure? with the Committee’s valuation, you can ask for the twelve months (provided no challenges are made to Cultural Property Unit
Committee to review it, in the light of written evidence valuations), although it may be necessary to exceed this
If the Finds Liaison Officer, museum curator or archaeologist that you want the Committee to see. If you are still period in exceptional cases such as large hoards of coins,
believes that the find may be Treasure, they will inform the dissatisfied, you can then appeal to the Secretary of State. or finds that present particular difficulties.
British Museum, or the National Museums & Galleries of
Wales. They will then decide whether they or any other
museum wishes to acquire it from the Crown. What if the Coroner or the national For further advice about Treasure:
If no museum wishes to acquire the find from the Crown,
museum loses or damages my find? British Museum The Treasure Act
Treasure Registrar Information for finders of Treasure
the Secretary of State will disclaim it. When this They are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that
Tel: 020 7323 8611
happens, the Coroner will notify the landowner that the this does not happen but, if it does, you should be (England & Wales)
object is to be returned you, after 28 days, unless the compensated. Department for Culture Media & Sport
landowner objects. If the landowner objects, the Coroner Cultural Property Unit
will retain the find until you and the landowner have Treasure section
resolved any dispute.
Who is eligible to a share of Tel: 020 7211 6181
the valuation ? Fax: 020 7211 6170
What if a museum wants to acquire This is set out in detail in the Code of Practice. British Museum
To summarise: Portable Antiquities Scheme
my find?
● the finder who has obtained permission to be on the Tel: 020 7323 8611
The Coroner will hold an inquest to decide whether the land from its owner, and acted in good faith. E-mail: info@finds.org.uk
find is Treasure. You, the site occupier, and the landowner
● the person or organisation which holds the freehold
will be invited to attend , and will able to question
of the land. For Treasure publications:
witnesses at the inquest. Treasure inquests will be held
without a jury. ● the person who occupies the particular site as a tenant Department for Culture Media & Sport
of the owner. Information Centre
If the find is declared to be Treasure then it will be taken Tel: 020 7211 6200
to the British Museum or the National Museums & E-mail: enquiries@culture.gov.uk
Galleries of Wales so that it can be valued by the Who is not eligible to a share of the
Treasure Valuation Committee. valuation? Front cover: Medieval silver gilt figure from
● an archaeologist who makes a Treasure find Buntingford, Hertfordshire.
How is a fair market value for a Treasure
A finder or a landowner who has acted in bad faith, and
find arrived at ? not in accordance the Code of Practice, may expect a
Any Treasure find, that a museum wishes to acquire, is reduced share of the valuation, or none at all.
valued by the Treasure Valuation Committee which consists
of independent experts. The Committee will commission How long will it take before I receive
a valuation from one or more experts drawn from the
antiquities or coin trades. You, the landowner and the
my reward?
Department for Culture,
acquiring museum, will have the option to comment on The target should be that the period between the find
Media and Sport
this valuation, and/or to send in a separate valuation for being received by the Coroner, or by the organization to 2-4 Cockspur Street
the Committee to consider. The Committee will inspect the whom he has directed that the find be delivered, and the London SW1Y 5DH
find and arrive at a valuation. If you are then dissatisfied payment of an ex gratia reward should not be longer than PP 559 March 2003
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