Do you get paid for finding treasure in the UK?

Rewards for those items that are selected for retention by the State are paid to the finders by the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, at the receiving museum's expense, and are based on the market value of the find. After examination, articles not required for museum collections are returned to the finder.

What happens if you find treasure in the UK?

You will be contacted by either a local Finds Liaison Officer or museum curator to talk about how and where you made the find. You'll be given a receipt. The Finds Liaison Officer or museum curator will then write a report on the find. Museums can express an interest in it if it might be treasure.

How much do you get paid for finding treasure in the UK?

You get paid 50% of the hoard value, with the other 50% going to the landowner.

Do you get any money if you find treasure?

If treasure is retained by the Crown and a reward is paid out to the landowner and / or the finder, this reward will be considered a pure gift of cash and there will be no tax consequences on this ex-gratia payment.

Can you keep gold found on public land in the UK?

Under UK law there is no such thing as “finders keepers”. You always need the landowner's permission to detect on an area of land and to keep anything you find on their land.

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Is treasure hunting legal in the UK?

The Treasure Act 1996 is a UK Act of Parliament, defining which objects are classified as treasure, legally obliging the finder to report their find. It applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What is the most valuable treasure ever found?

Found in the 1980s in the town of Środa Ślaska, Poland, the Środa Treasure is a 14th-century hoard of gold and silver coins, precious stones, jewelry, and a gold crown. It is worth a cool $120 million. Workers discovered the hoard during demolition work in 1985.

Can I keep treasure if I find it?

the object doesn't need to be kept and should be returned to the finder. the object should be kept for a museum. If this happens, the finder might be paid a reward, based on the value of the object.

Who owns treasure in the UK?

Notes to editors: The Treasure Act applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Under the Act, treasure is owned by the Crown when found and a person who finds an object they believe to be treasure must notify the relevant authorities within 14 days.

Which treasure is worth the most?

​The Titanic: A haunting legacy worth USD 200 million

Some items were, however, recovered in good condition and have sold for thousands at auctions. The total estimated worth of the find is USD 200 million, although more treasures are thought to be buried on the ocean floor waiting to be found.

What is the most valuable treasure found in the UK?

In total 2,584 of the ancient silver pennies were discovered, with some dating as far back as 1066, to the Norman conquest. Now, the friends have sold the collection of coins to the South West Heritage Trust, for a whopping £4.3 million - making it the highest-value treasure ever found in the UK.

What are the new treasure laws in the UK?

As of 2025, objects are generally defined as Treasure if they meet one of the following conditions: Any metallic object (other than a coin) that is at least 300 years old when found and has a precious metal content (gold or silver) of at least 10% by weight.

What is the finders fee for the national treasure?

Later, Ben and Abigail start a relationship, and Riley is somewhat upset that Ben turned down the 10% finder's fee for the treasure. However, the 1% he did accept has made them all wealthy.

What happens if you find gold nuggets in the UK?

The Treasure Act of 1996 states that: “All finds must be reported and, if confirmed, museums must be allowed to buy the items at their current market value.” As the finder of the treasure, you are legally bound to offer the treasure you have unearthed for sale to a museum in the UK.

Do you pay tax on treasure troves?

These have no tax consequences. The rewards are pure gifts of cash and are not chargeable to Capital Gains Tax. Where treasure trove was retained by the Crown, a cash reward may have been paid to the finder.

How much do treasure hunters make?

How much do treasure hunting jobs pay per year? $43,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $81,500 is the 75th percentile.

Can I keep treasure I find in the UK?

In the UK treasure objects are Crown property and do not belong to the finder or landowner. Finders have a responsibility for the safekeeping of treasure objects until they are handed over to a relevant authority, such as a Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) or museum.

Do you get paid if you find treasure?

If a treasure is retained by the Crown and a reward is paid out to the landowner and / or the finder, this reward will be considered a pure gift of cash and there will be no tax consequences on this ex-gratia payment, according to Boodle Hatfield.

Who owns the most gold in the UK?

The Bank of England has one of the world's largest gold vaults. We are the second-largest custodian of gold in the world, after the New York Federal Reserve.

What is the law of finds in the UK?

Reporting your find

There's a legal requirement to report all finds of Treasure, as defined by the Treasure Act 1996 (Opens in new window) – essentially single finds of gold and silver over 300 years old and groups (hoards) of coins and prehistoric metalwork.

Can I keep money if I find it?

“Even though cash is not marked with the owner's identity — like a check or savings bond — it's a piece of property that originally belonged to someone other than the finder,” New Mexico attorney Lauren Baldwin wrote in a 20222 article on CriminalDefenseLawyer.com. “Cash you find is not legally yours,” Baldwin wrote.

Can you sell treasure you find?

Items which are Treasure belong to the Crown. If a museum wishes to acquire them, finders and landowners are not able to sell Treasure finds - rather they may claim a reward, or choose to donate the items.

Which country has the most treasure?

🌍💰 Based on 2021 data from Statista, Russia leads the global pack with a staggering $75 trillion in natural resources—fueled by coal, gas, oil, and rare earth metals.