There is an interesting discussion on The Modern Antiquarian: 'Re: Metal detectorist unhappy with valuation':"Unless changes are made, people aren't going to donate their treasure finds to the nation" said the ungrateful, annoying little scrote to the press [...] Oh, and they aren't YOUR finds, they're ours. So you don't "donate" them, you're obliged to hand them over. The money is ex gratia not an entitlement. And please call a spade a spade. "People aren't going to donate" actually means "steal".
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I forgot to say, not declaring a treasure find is not only the theft of public property it is also stealing half the value of the item that would have been offered to the landowner.
Considering the Treasure Act is openly touted by the authorities as being aimed at preventing that happening and since hundreds of detectorists have said it would happen if rewards are "too low" we have a situation in which the public purse is being used to prevent multiple theft by those whose morals are lower than the rest of society. Tesco's handing tenners to potential shoplifters. Bonkers.
Do I hear responsible detectorists saying rewards should be reduced to 10% and the penalty for not declaring treasure should be upped, for the benefit of everyone except awful people? Or is it just the sound of wind in the trees?
When will we hear the first genuinely RESPONSIBLE statement?
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