Treasure laws to be closed

Treasure will be redefined by the Government in reforms which aim to ensure that more discoveries end up on display and not in private hands.

 

96 per cent of UK treasure discoveries are made by hobbyists as metal detecting is increasingly popular and in future artefacts which fit the legal criteria must be handed over. However objects such as bronze or lead Roman statues do not currently qualify and have been sold to private collectors rather than going to museums.

 

In 2017 a rare Roman dog sculpture was found in Gloucestershire but because it was made of bronze it could be sold and was auctioned in 2019 for £137,000.

 

The 1996 Treasure Act defines which discoveries the state can claim and offer to museums based on the size of the hoard and presence of precious metals. More than 5,000 objects have been added to collections across the country since 1996. But the definition of treasure as being more than 300 years old, made of gold or silver, or found with artefacts made of precious metals, has meant many items fall through the cracks of the 1996 Act.

 

Following consultation with museum experts, detectorists, and landowners a reworking of the 1996 Act will be rolled out in 2022. The culture minister Caroline Dinenage has announced that treasure will be redefined based on "significance" to close the loophole and ensure Britain's excavated objects end up on display.

 

She commented, "The search for buried treasures by budding detectorists has become more popular than ever before and many ancient artefacts now see the light of day in museums' collections. "However, it is important that we pursue plans to protect more of our precious history."

 

The rise in metal detecting has been harnessed by museums to acquire increasing numbers of artefacts found annually in Britain.

 

 

Mandy Peters Solicitors 

Lewisham