unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 So you've just put the decoys out and you see something strange just under the soil. Upon closer inspection you see that it is some sort of artefact. You have a little dig and find several other items in total. You then put them in your bucket and carry on shooting. When you get home it dawns on you that you have something priceless and ancient, namely roman gold treasure. Now you had every right to be on that land but no arrangement regarding finding treasure, i.e a document signed with the landowner agreeing 50/50 split. This is what metal detectorists do. My question is, would you declare it to the landowner or would you bluff it and make out it came from your garden or something?..............Be honest please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricko Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Finders Keepers? Losers Weepers? Are there any losers in this as the landowner was oblivious to the gold coin being there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 So you've just put the decoys out and you see something strange just under the soil. Upon closer inspection you see that it is some sort of artefact. You have a little dig and find several other items in total. You then put them in your bucket and carry on shooting. When you get home it dawns on you that you have something priceless and ancient, namely roman gold treasure. Now you had every right to be on that land but no arrangement regarding finding treasure, i.e a document signed with the landowner agreeing 50/50 split. This is what metal detectorists do. My question is, would you declare it to the landowner or would you bluff it and make out it came from your garden or something?..............Be honest please! Be honest and report it. You would be removing history from it's source. A lot more could be found out as to the context of the find. On a more positive note, more treasure may be found and you could get a reward from the landowner, more valuable than the amount you have stolen. If you allowed someone into your garden and they done the same thing what would your think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Think i would get a bit of paper signed,just incase i found anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Be honest and report it. You would be removing history from it's source. A lot more could be found out as to the context of the find. On a more positive note, more treasure may be found and you could get a reward from the landowner, more valuable than the amount you have stolen. If you allowed someone into your garden and they done the same thing what would your think? Yeh but what if he is a nasty piece of work and you are worried he would only give you B.F.H? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Yeh but what if he is a nasty piece of work and you are worried he would only give you B.F.H? Honesty is the best policy, I also enjoy history and archaeology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy96 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 when i go metal detecting we split 50/50. and all the stuff i find over 300 years old goes and get recorded by the finds officer. as i found a medevil silver seal ring which has gone through the treasure act, as anything which contains 10 percent of gold or silver must be reported. by law. heres the link to my ring i found it dates around 1500 AD http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/452085 if the link dont work google, LIN-2E5083 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 when i go metal detecting we split 50/50. and all the stuff i find over 300 years old goes and get recorded by the finds officer. as i found a medevil silver seal ring which has gone through the treasure act, as anything which contains 10 percent of gold or silver must be reported. by law. heres the link to my ring i found it dates around 1500 AD http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/452085 if the link dont work google, LIN-2E5083 Thats excellent. What sort of money is it worth. Whats the feeling like when you find something like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzini Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 If you find it then its only you that know about it. The biggest enemy is you're self. Keep quiet and say nothing ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 If you find it then its only you that know about it. The biggest enemy is you're self. Keep quiet and say nothing ! At some point you are going to have to break radio silence if you want to cash it in though arent you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR1960 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I'm a part-time archaeologist, so I guess you know the answer.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I'm a part-time archaeologist, so I guess you know the answer.............. No tell us you tease. And dont you go telling me that all archaeologists dont whack the odd trinket in their bin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jma Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) Mention to your landowner that you are a bit of a history buff and like to metal detect for artifacts. Ask permission to detect if things look quiet when shooting , draw up a 50/50 agreement wait 6-8 months...............Job done Why should you lose out, you found the stuff? regards jma Edited January 25, 2012 by jma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Mention to your landowner that you are a bit of a history buff and like to metal detect for artifacts. Ask permission to detect if things look quite when shooting , draw up a 50/50 agreement wait 6-8 months...............Job done Why should you lose out, you found the stuff? regards jma Yes, this is more like what i thought people would do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P~MX Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 when i go metal detecting we split 50/50. and all the stuff i find over 300 years old goes and get recorded by the finds officer. as i found a medevil silver seal ring which has gone through the treasure act, as anything which contains 10 percent of gold or silver must be reported. by law. heres the link to my ring i found it dates around 1500 AD http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/452085 if the link dont work google, LIN-2E5083 Class find fella ! that ring is great lookin, it's my son's initials so if you want a nifty for it we can deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin128 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 It's like one of those questions...you are strolloing along a country road and you find a bag of money...say £50k...all current issue £20s...and no-one sees you...you put it in your bag and walk another mile to your car...still no-one sees you and you go home. The wife is out running up your credit card so you count it up and put it in the loft in a man dawer. What do you do? Now come on...be honest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 It's like one of those questions...you are strolloing along a country road and you find a bag of money...say £50k...all current issue £20s...and no-one sees you...you put it in your bag and walk another mile to your car...still no-one sees you and you go home. The wife is out running up your credit card so you count it up and put it in the loft in a man dawer. What do you do? Now come on...be honest? I would place a notice in the local post office stating what I had found and ask the owner to form a queue :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR1960 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 No tell us you tease. And dont you go telling me that all archaeologists dont whack the odd trinket in their bin! Not the ones i know, I think you're mistaking the ones you know for thieves..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Not the ones i know, I think you're mistaking the ones you know for thieves..... I dont know any. Anyway how can it be theft if the owner died 1500 years ago and dident leave his details? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy96 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Thats excellent. What sort of money is it worth. Whats the feeling like when you find something like this? haha cheers im waiting for the final value, it will be within a few weeks cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR1960 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I dont know any. Anyway how can it be theft if the owner died 1500 years ago and dident leave his details? If that's really what you think I won't waste both of our time trying to explain it to you.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy96 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Class find fella ! that ring is great lookin, it's my son's initials so if you want a nifty for it we can deal hahaa lincoln museum get firts chance, if the back down,it will go up for auction on specialist site, cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 If that's really what you think I won't waste both of our time trying to explain it to you.... Lighten up you relic hunter, you sound like you lost a kruger and found a euro! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Let me ask you one question. If you did find something, How would you sell it without questions being asked? Unless its properly validated its nearly worthless in reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 It's like one of those questions...you are strolloing along a country road and you find a bag of money...say £50k...all current issue £20s...and no-one sees you...you put it in your bag and walk another mile to your car...still no-one sees you and you go home. The wife is out running up your credit card so you count it up and put it in the loft in a man dawer. What do you do? Now come on...be honest? Now, that's a thought that has occurred to me a few times but with me there is no moral question to answer, because my scenario involves a bag of cash from a dodgy drug deal gone-wrong, so the only losers are the dealers. But I'm with Bakerboy and others on this one, honesty is the best policy - especially when it's our history and heritage at stake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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