Is there a need for a PAS-like Scheme in the USA?

Samantha Schaefer, 'Origin of Gold Country coins remains a mystery' (LA Times March 11, 2014)

Coin elves, obviously.

The coins discovered by the anonymous couple, dated between 1847 and 1894, mostly consist of $20 pieces and have a face value of nearly $28,000 "The couple said they walked the route for years, before uncovering the cans. They were so shocked by what they found that they took the coins, placed them in an old ice chest and reburied them in their wood pile".

some historians are disappointed about the secrecy surrounding the find. Experts said that Americans who discover treasure are generally wary of announcing their finds and that can result in a loss of valuable history. Historians have plotted such discoveries in other countries and established patterns that unlock bits of the past, said Ute Wartenberg Kagan, executive director of American Numismatic Society. [...] "For American coins, people are so secretive," she said. "It's a loss of American history." 

The ACCG are believed to be developing an online resource for US collectors: "the alternative to woodpiles for storing your coin finds"