Abstract
THE law of treasure-trove has been so ill-defined in the minds of most working archæologists that we welcome the announcement made in the Museum Journal for April, to the effect that negotiations on the subject, which have been in progress for several years between H.M. Treasury and the British Museum, have been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. The decisions of the negotiators have been embodied in a circular, which, as defining the rights of the finder as well as his obligations, deserves the widest publicity. The circular, of which copies may be obtained on application to the Director, British Museum, W.C.I, is as follows: “Objects of gold or silver which have been hidden in the soil or in buildings, and of which the original owner cannot be traced, are Treasure-Trove, and by law the property of the Crown. (Unless—as in some rare cases—the ‘franchise of Treasure-Trove’ has been expressly granted to a subject, in so far as finds in the particular locality are concerned.) If, however, the finder of such objects reports the find promptly, and it is decided that it is Treasure-Trove and therefore the property of the Crown, he will receive its full market value if it is retained for the Crown or a museum. If it is not retained, he will receive back the objects themselves, with full liberty to do what he likes with them; or, if he wishes it, the British Museum will sell them for him at the best price obtainable. The only way in which a finder can comply with the law and also obtain these advan tages is by reporting the find promptly to the proper authority.
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The Law and Practice of Treasure-Trove. Nature 127, 647 (1931). https://doi.org/10.1038/127647a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/127647a0