Treasure finds in London hit record high

The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show there were 29 treasure finds declared to coroners in 2024 in London (Adam Care, ' Treasure finds in London hit record high' Barnet Post 17 May, 2025) The reporter is excited that across England and Wales, the number of suspected treasure finds last year has reached a new all-time high of 1,363 and the number of treasure finds reported in London has hit a record high, new figures show. The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show there were 29 treasure finds declared to coroners in 2024 in London. This was more than the year before, when there were five. The figures also show across England and Wales there were 500 inquests concluded into finds by coroners. Of these, 98% (491) returned a conclusion of treasure, an increase from 96% in 2023

But Keith Westcott, founder of the Detectorists Institute and Foundation, which represents metal detectorists across the UK, warned caring for historical items “places a significant financial burden on museums and local heritage bodies”, while funding for conservation is “regrettably, in decline”. He said: “If we are to ensure that culturally important finds [...] not only reported but meaningfully preserved and studied, urgent attention must be given to supporting the institutions that care for them. “Detectorists are increasingly aware of their role in stewardship—a principle the DIF actively promotes through education and the development of professional standards—but this must be matched by national support for the heritage infrastructure that underpins responsible discovery.”

'Detectorists are increasingly aware of their role in stewardship' - 'Is that all of them Mr Westcott, or a minority, it'd be nice if you could be more specific. Of course museums need more funding nationally, but a lot of that money tends to come from regional budgets. It would be a great saving if the money for looking after the things dug up by hobbyist explorers went towards the cnservation and preservaton of the finds. Artefact hunters say they are not despoiling the archaeological record, but ":preserving the past", but perhaps their role in that cannot be considered completed the moment they habnd it over to somebody else to look after.

Hat tip Dave Coward.