Treasure Act 1996
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to abolish treasure trove and to make fresh provision in relation to treasure. |
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| Territorial extent | England, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 4 July 1996 |
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Status: Current legislation
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| Text of the Treasure Act 1996 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Treasure Act 1996 is an Act of Parliament designed to deal with finds of treasure in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It legally obliges finders of objects which constitute a legally defined term of treasure to report their find to their local coroner within fourteen days. An inquest led by the coroner then determines whether the find constitutes treasure or not. If it is declared to be treasure then the finder must offer the item for sale to a museum at a price set by an independent board of antiquities experts known as the Treasure Valuation Committee. Only if a museum expresses no interest in the item, or is unable to purchase it, can the finder retain it.
'Treasure' is defined as being:
The Treasure Act allows for a reward up to the market value of the treasure to be shared among the finder and the tenants and/or owner of the land on which the treasure was found. The amount of the reward and how it is divided among the claimants is determined by the Treasure Valuation Committee.
Successful cases involving the Treasure Act include that of the Ringlemere gold cup. Non-treasure finds are the remit of the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
The act does not apply in Scotland, where treasure finds are a matter of Scots Common Law.
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