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Planning Archaeology
The Treasure Act -
Rewards
Information for finders of treasure (England and Wales)
Who will receive the reward?
If a museum wants to acquire part or all of a find, then the coroner will hold an inquest to decide whether it is treasure. The coroner will inform the finder, occupier and landowner and they will be able to question witnesses at the inquest. Treasure inquests will not normally be held with a jury.
If the find is declared to be treasure, then it will be taken to the British Museum or the National Museum and Galleries of Wales, so that it can be valued by the Treasure Valuation Committee.
How long will it take before I receive my reward?
This is set out in detail in the Code of Practice. To summarise:
- where the finder has permission to be on the land, rewards should continue to be paid in full to him or her. (The burden of proof as to whether he or she has permission will rest with the finder.) If the finder makes an agreement with the occupier/landowner to share a reward, the Secretary of State will normally follow it.
- if the finder does not remove the whole of a find from the ground but allows archaeologists to excavate the remainder of the find, the original finder will normally be eligible for a reward for the whole find.
- rewards will not normally be payable when the find is made by an archaeologist.
- where the finder has committed an offence in relation to a find, or has trespassed, or has not followed best practice as set out in the Code of Practice, he or she may expect no reward at all or a reduced reward. Landowners and occupiers will be eligible for rewards in such cases.
Information taken from the leaflet "The Treasure Act"
Printed in the UK for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
DCMSJ0229NJ. July 1997
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