So does the government steal them or does the farmer get a cut
He added that as the coins are precious metal over 300 years old they fall within the remit of the Treasure Act.
They will now be taken to the British Museum for conservation and identification before a coroner will decide whether they are legally treasure.
A museum will then be able to bid for the coins with the money from the sale being split between the land owner and the individual who made the discovery.
“The Treasure Act 1996 is an Act of Parliament designed to deal with finds of treasure in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It legally obliges finders of objects which constitute a legally defined term of treasure to report their find to their local coroner within fourteen days. An inquest led by the coroner then determines whether the find constitutes treasure or not. If it is declared to be treasure then the owner must offer the item for sale to a museum at a price set by an independent board of antiquities experts (Treasure Valuation Committee). Only if a museum expresses no interest in the item, or is unable to purchase it, can the owner retain it.”
“Under English law a landowner has sole title to any archaeological artifacts found on his or her property. Legitimate metal detectorists come to an agreement with the owners of the land they detect on to share any proceeds from treasure sales.”