Two men using metal detectors discover hoard of 50,000 Iron Age Celtic coins

IO9 ^ | July 3, 2012 | George Dvorsky

[pennyfarmer]

In the USA things are still somewhat a free for all. We are not necessarily under penalty of law to reveal anything found on private property.

In the UK they are bound by law to reveal any coin find over 15 in one hole, silver coins, and any gold items. I don’t know all the particulars. In the US private property is generally finders keepers unless you are trespassing, and technically government property is prohibited, although many city parks and beaches are free game for us.

[Altariel]

Aha! I KNEW they’d turn up eventually. I was wondering where I’d left those.

;-)

[Kevmo]

“It was found under a hedge so perhaps this is an early example of hedge fund trading.”

[boop]

Didn't the liberal publisher of Rolling Stone, Jann Wenner have some workman dig up some gold on his property? Then he made sure to keep it all.

Should've given the guy SOMETHING.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks, and LOL! Metal Detector Hobbyists Find Rare Heap Of Celtic Coins Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[Eye of Unk]

I invested in a brand new Whites GMT Goldmaster this spring, its a 48khz specialty detector for gold detecting in Alaska. it wasn’t cheap, also picked up a Garret Pro pointer, using the two I can zero in searching for grain sized gold flakes and nuggets.

I have yet to use it but I have several places that look very promising. I joined some forums and was amazed at the amount of interest in metal detecting but for the most part in the lower 48 its searching more for coins and relics.

There was an idiotic attempt to make a reality TV series, its failed miserably fortunately.

[SampleMan]

By “over there” do you mean the UK in particular or Europe in general?

I have no current experience, but I do know that in the 80’s in France and Italy, they were shutting down farms whenever anything was found.

[Eye of Unk]

Thats nothing, in Australia you will get into deep dingo poodoo if you find a meteorite and keep it for yourself.

Or worse yet try to take it out of the territory.

My first rule which still stands when I got into MD, I post on several MD forums, I never tell of my discoveries, I actually just say I have not used my GMT. Too many people are way too keen on knowing locations, doesn’t matter if its gold, coins, civil war relics or underground caches.

Sadly thats the downturn of a depressed society, I have to carry concealed when I travel with my MD, its a very hot commodity for thieves.

[pennyfarmer]

I believe its the UK. I don’t know which countries adopted the current treasure trove laws.

Some pressure to adopt this treasure trove law must have been happening in the 80’s. I think that they were having a real problem with people smuggling artifacts out of the country. People would hunt for treasures in the middle of the night (night-hawking). There were several instances of someone attempting to keep and smuggle Celtic gold coins.

[SunkenCiv]

• Ancient Celtic offshore Banking [update to 2012 story]