Treasure

Mention the word treasure and no doubt images of gold, silver and gems, will spring to mind, maybe associated with Pirates.

The UK has had it’s fair share of remarkable ‘treasure’ finds over the years and still hoards and single finds of various ages turn up, usually found by metal detectorists.

It should be noted that any finds of value must be reported. People have got into trouble for not doing so.

https://www.gov.uk/report-treasure-step-by-step

The Portable Antiquities Scheme encourages finders to report items that are not considered treasure trove so they can be recorded.

https://finds.org.uk/

Whilst news articles seem to concentrate on how much the finds are worth, the objects themselves have a much higher historical value and can open a window on the past.
This is why they should be reported so archeologists can find out as much as possible about the site the objects come from as well as the objects themselves.

Metal detecting and the law

• No search can begin until permission has been given by the landowner

• All finds belong to the landowner

• Any find in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that is more than 300 years old, made of gold or silver, or found with gold or silver artefacts, could be treasure under the 1996 Treasure Act

• These must be reported to the appropriate county finds liaison officer

Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme

‘Treasure’ News from around the UK.

Various articles on where ‘treasure’ has been found.

Tudor coins were found in a New Forest garden while pulling weeds in 2020 (Image: The Trustees of the British Museum/PA)

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

https://www.hampshirelive.news/news/hampshire-news/hampshire-isle-wight-ranked-among-5872179

North Yorkshire.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19561125.north-yorkshire-holds-buried-treasure-uk-according-data/

Lincolnshire

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/history/lincolnshire-named-one-buried-treasure-5869511

Oxfordshire.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19554295.oxfordshire-10th-best-place-find-buried-treasure/

Norfolk.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/norfolk-treasure-survey-find-8300798

Dorset.

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/19564853.dorset-third-best-place-find-buried-treasure/

Essex.

https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/huge-amount-buried-treasure-discovered-5867883

Nofolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9962701/Norfolk-Suffolk-Lincolnshire-10-counties-buried-treasure.html

Raymond Kosschuk with some of the artefacts he found. (SWNS)

Claims that King John’s treasure has been found in Lincolnshire.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/king-john-england-sutton-bridge-lincolnshire-lost-treasure-122050762.html

Some interesting finds in Swansea.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/treasure-dating-back-hundreds-years-21425789

Rare Early Medieval Brooch found in Somerset.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-58552915

Police dig up area in Carterton looking for items that were stolen from Arundel Castle.

https://www.witneygazette.co.uk/news/19594609.police-dig-alvescot-carterton-hoard-treasure-stolen-arundel-castle/

Historical finds from Northern Ireland.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/northern-ireland-viking-bronze-age-dublin-great-britain-b956112.html

Shipwreck Treasure Museum in Cornwall wins award. Sounds like an interesting place to visit.

https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/19582842.shipwreck-treasure-museum-cornwall-wins-third-2021-award/

BRITISH MUSEUM

The hoard included a Charles I declaration shilling.

The Lindsey Hoard of Civil War coins discovered in Suffolk declared treasure trove.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-58205023

Rare gold coin from the reign of Richard III goes on display at Buckinghams Old Gaol.

https://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/rare-gold-half-angel-coin-from-the-reign-of-richard-iii-goes-on-display-at-buckinghams-old-gaol-3398119

Still no sign of the gold toilet, stolen from Bleinheim Palace two years ago.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-58529069

Gold Bronze Age pendant on display in Shrewsbury.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-58508163

Two articles about finding treasure in the UK. Be warned, you can’t just dig up areas to your heart’s content and certain finds have to be reported. Landowners aren’t going to be impressed if you start digging great big holes in their property without getting permission.

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1489491/best-location-treasure-spot-staycation-uk

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1485983/uk-treasure-map-britain-isle-of-wight-norfolk-suffolk-essex-buried-treasure

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

Another treasure find – a gold Roman clasp with blue and green glass – is now in Saffron Walden Museum after being compared to jewellery in the Thetford Hoard.

Article about a Norfolk metal detectorist and some of his finds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-58001604

Gold prospecting in Scotland.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/11/gold-fever-is-a-thing-meet-scotlands-new-prospectors

Husband spends 40 years making wife ring from gold he found panning in Scotland.
Got to he honest I would really like to try my hand at gold panning.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/husband-spends-40-years-making-24872278