page_title: Treasure trove
section_title: England, Northern Ireland, and Wales
hierarchical_section_title: Treasure trove / Present-day legal definitions / United Kingdom / England, Northern Ireland, and Wales
caption_attribution_description: Ænglisc: Stæffordscīr hord. Searucēap þæs hordes Deutsch: Teile des Schatzes von Staffordshire. Linksunten im Bild steht ein schmaler Streifen aus Gold mit einer lateinischen Inschrift aus dem Buch Numeri (4. Buch Mose 10,35 EU): „surge d[omi]ne [et] disepentur inimici tui et fugent qui oderunt te a facie tua“ (Steh auf, Herr, dann zerstreuen sich deine Feinde, / dann fliehen deine Gegner vor dir.). English: Pieces from the Staffordshire hoard, an Anglo-Saxon treasure trove discovered in 2009. From top left to bottom right the items are: Part of helmet cheek piece (left) "Fish and Eagles" (above and right of cheek piece) NLM 567: sword fitting or dagger hilt (right of cheek piece) NLM 655: folded cross (top right) mount with entwined pattern within rectangle (above strip) NLM 449: hilt piece with inlaid intertwining pattern (middle) NLM 451: pyramid-shaped mount or sword fixing (below 449, above strip) NLM 462: pyramid-shaped mount or sword fixing NLM 545: stud with chequerboard pattern NLM 550: folded band with Latin inscription (lower left) NLM 675: small round stud horse-patterned rod (lower right) At the lower left the folded gold band, NLM 550, is inscribed with the Latin inscription surge d[omi]ne [et] dispentur inimici tui et fugent qui oderunt te a facie tua which could be translated as "rise up, o Lord, and may thy enemies be scattered and those who hate thee be driven from thy face"&#91;1&#93; Frysk: Skat fan Staffordshire. Stikken fan de Skat fan Staffordshire Română: Tezaurul de la Staffordshire
context_page_description: Treasure trove is an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the heirs undiscoverable. An archaeological find of treasure trove is known as a hoard. The legal definition of what constitutes treasure trove and its treatment under law vary considerably from country to country, and from era to era.
  The term is also often used metaphorically. Collections of articles published as a book are often titled Treasure Trove, as in A Treasure Trove of Science. This was especially fashionable for titles of children's books in the early- and mid-20th century.
context_section_description: Throughout the ages, farmers, archaeologists and amateur treasure hunters have unearthed important treasures of immense historical, scientific and financial value. However, the strictness of the common law rules meant that such items were sometimes not treasure trove. The items risked being sold abroad, or were only saved for the nation by being purchased at a high price. Mention has already been made of the objects comprising the Sutton Hoo ship burial, which were not treasure trove as they had been interred without any intention to retrieve them. The objects were later presented to the nation by their owner, Edith May Pretty, in a 1942 bequest. In March 1973, a hoard of about 7,811 Roman coins was found buried in a field at Coleby in Lincolnshire. It was made up of antoniniani believed to have been minted between AD 253 and 281. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales held in the 1981 case of Attorney-General of the Duchy of Lancaster v. G.E. Overton (Farms) Ltd. that the hoard was not treasure trove as the coins did not have a substantial silver content. Thus, it belonged to the owner of the field and could not be retained by the British Museum.
  To remedy the faults of the old treasure trove regime, the Treasure Act 1996 introduced a new scheme which came into effect on 24 September 1997. Any treasure found on and after that date regardless of the circumstances in which it was deposited, even if it was lost or left with no intention of recovery, belongs to the Crown, subject to any prior interests or rights held by any franchisee of the Crown. The Secretary of State (currently meaning the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport) may direct that any such treasure be transferred or disposed of, or that the Crown's title in it be disclaimed.
  The Act uses the term treasure instead of treasure trove; the latter term is now confined to objects found before the Act came into force. Objects falling within the following definition are "treasure" under the Act:
  If the object is not a coin, it must be at least 300 years old and at least 10% precious metal (that is, gold or silver) by weight.
  If the object is a coin, it must either be:
  one of at least two coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time and are at least 10% precious metal by weight; or
  one of at least ten coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time.
  Any object at least 200 years old when found which belongs to a class of objects of outstanding historical, archaeological or cultural importance that has been designated as treasure by the Secretary of State. As of 2006, the following classes of objects had been so designated:
  Any object, other than a coin, any part of which is base metal (that is, not gold or silver), which when found is one of at least two base metal objects in the same find which are of prehistoric date.
  Any object, other than a coin, which is of prehistoric date, and any part of which is gold or silver.
  Any object which would have been treasure trove if found before 24 September 1997.
  Any object which, when found, is part of the same find as:
  an object within head (1), (2), (3) or (4) above found at the same time or earlier; or
  an object found earlier which would be within head (1), (2) or (3) above if it had been found at the same time.
  Treasure does not include unworked natural objects, or minerals extracted from a natural deposit, or objects that have been designated not to be treasure by the Secretary of State. Objects falling within the definition of wreck are also not treasure.
  Coroners continue to have jurisdiction to enquire into any treasure found in their districts, and into who are or are suspected to be its finders. Anyone finding an object he or she believes or has reasonable grounds to believe is treasure must notify the coroner for the district in which the object is found within 14 days starting from the day after the find or, if later, the day on which the finder first believes or has reason to believe the object is treasure. Not doing so is an offence. Inquests are held witho
caption: Items from the Staffordshire hoard which were declared to be treasure in September 2009
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