The UK Government has proposed several amendments to the Treasure Act 1996 that will expand the definition of ‘treasure’ to include objects that provide significant insight into a particular person, event or regional histories.

Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 24 Feb 2023


The UK Government has proposed several amendments to the Treasure Act 1996 that will expand the definition of ‘treasure’ to include objects that provide significant insight into a particular person, event or regional histories.
The act ensures that significant or important items are offered to museums for public benefit rather than privately sold by making it a legal requirement for finders to report their finds.
Currently, the Treasure Act defines treasure as more than 300 years old and made wholly or partially from precious metals or as part of a trove of valuable artefacts.
However, the new criteria will include ‘exceptional’ objects of more than 200 years old that provide insight into the country’s heritage, regardless of the metal they are made from.
Discoveries meeting the new criteria will be assessed by a coroner before undergoing a formal museum acquisition process.
The reforms were prompted by... More on museumsassociation.org
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