[Revel]

“PA Media reports that the newly discovered coins may be recognized as treasure under British law.”

Of course the government is going to steal them.

[hanamizu]

Of course the government is going to steal them.

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The government could, but wisely doesn’t. Hidden treasure is called treasure trove and by law belongs to the Crown. Hidden means deliberately concealed, like buried, etc, the determination made by the coroner. Lost stuff is finders keepers.

If any or all of the treasure is of interest to public museums the government pays full-market value for them. This way, there is no reason to conceal found treasure. And check out the series ‘The Detectorists’ as cited above.