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My team found a Roman coin hoard in a field near York, but the landowner wanted to keep it all.
We had the legal right to report it as treasure, but he argued it was on his property. We ended up calling the local finds officer to mediate. How do you handle situations where the law and a landowner's claim clash?
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betty_ward6mo ago
Typical, everyone wants a piece of history until they have to share it. Did the finds officer sort it out?
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quinn_kim456mo ago
Yeah, "everyone wants a piece" is exactly it. I mean, the law is pretty clear it's treasure and belongs to the crown, but you still get people who think owning the dirt means owning everything under it. The finds officer is key because they're the neutral party who can actually explain the law without it feeling like a fight. It's not about taking from the landowner, it's about making sure stuff gets recorded properly and ends up in a museum where everyone can see it. Sometimes they just need to hear that from an official person, not the finders.
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uma8964mo ago
Know a guy who found a Roman coin on a farmer's land. Farmer got all worked up, thought the finder was trying to steal from him, wouldn't let anyone near the spot for weeks. The finds officer came out, sat down with the farmer over a cup of coffee, explained the whole treasure act thing, and the farmer ended up letting the dig happen without any fuss.
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