I believe that - in the case of buried treasure - the entire find is confiscated by the government, and the finder is consoled with a "Finder's Fee."
In the case of valuable found on or in an actual residential building - I don't know.
Might explain why "buried treasure" is so seldom found - but instead troves are discovered hidden in the walls or concealed in the floorboards.
Regards,
“Might explain why “buried treasure” is so seldom found”
Au contraire. SunkenCiv just posts= about yet another cache of buried coins in the UK at least once a week. It seems you can’t turn on your metal detector there without finding another Roman horde in a pasture.
That’s because in England, the government maintains rights to everything in the ground. I just learned this the other day — I think there’s some movement to change that.
In the United States, the landowner has mineral rights and owns everything on the property.
Whether or not the UK confiscates the hoard depends on it’s age. Newer hoards are not confiscated.
This couple was saved by the later coins — the 1700s vintage.
So takeaway: before disclosing a hoard, add some recent coins.
That is not the case. Read the terms of the Treasure Trove Act of 1996. The money is divided between the landowner and the finder, and is not taxed.