PAS and Finds Release Documentation

In the attempts to discuss what constitutes truly ethical detecting, which has in the past few days prompted one self-proclaimed ethical detectorist to flounce off the blogosphere deleting his blog, along with a whole load of other people's comments (including mine) on the topic, one question raised, right at the beginning back in 2010 was about a landowner being kept aware real-time on the various values of what was leaving his property in the pockets of guests on his land. Metal detectorists did not like that idea one bit.

A related issue, not raised earlier, was whether the PAS should be handling finds where they do NOT have a signed release form from the landowner from each of them saying the has given the finder the permission to search for that item on his land and take it away. How without it can they prevent nighthawked finds getting ‘laundered’ by being entered into the database as from being from a totally different farmer’s lands altogether? Like that Malmesbury coin. Yes, these too can be faked, but by demanding to see such documentation, the PAS will have taken reasonable steps to avoid handling stolen material. If they have not obtained such documentation, they have not. Neither by the same token is it particularly responsible detecting not to have such documentation, whether or not your FLO is interested in playing it by the book. I do not see this as about stealing as much as documenting the licit and documenting behaviour classifiable as licit and clearly distinguishing those who engage in such transparent practices from those whose activities are clandestine and less than illicit. These questions went unanswered of course by the "responsible detectorist".

Vignette: PAS "partnership" and finds release.