Posted on 01/20/2019 8:07:32 PM PST by SunkenCiv
France recently seized an unannounced number of third century A.D. Roman gold coins as well as an ancient gold plate allegedly with a pedigree linking the material to the Lava Treasure... first encountered about 25 years ago when three Corsicans diving for sea urchins spotted gold in the shallow waters there... the official French national police statement released Oct. 27 in which it says, "This submerged treasure, identified as a maritime cultural asset, belongs to the state." ...As Ancient Coin Collectors Guild spokesman Wayne G. Sayles commented in the October 2010 issue of The Celator magazine, "[coins are] utilitarian objects that were created in the millions and are not in any way of significant cultural value to any state." Had this find been discovered off the coast of Great Britain, as an example, the find could have been declared as treasure trove and the finders could have at least received a reward for their efforts. Being that the find was on French territory there was to be no imbursement, and likely not even a "thank you." As the police statement reads, the find "belongs to the state." Cyprus, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and a host of other countries have restrictive laws governing finds of this nature in which the find is automatically claimed by a government as that government's cultural patrimony. The finders have no rights to the find and for practical purposes might as well have reburied the find where it was discovered... Once again the AFP report includes the ominous comment, "As a cultural treasure, the golden plate belongs to the state and should be turned over to the culture ministry in December."
(Excerpt) Read more at archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com ...
The Lava Treasure, consisting primarily of ancient Roman gold coins, received its name because the find was discovered accidentally by fishermen diving in the Gulf of Lava. The gulf is off the west coast of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. Corsica belong
Roman golden plate of ‘Lava Treasure’ recovered — police
Saturday, October 30, 2010, 09:55 by AFP
https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101030/world-news/roman-golden-plate-of-lava-treasure-recovered-police.333819
Looking for the Lava Treasure
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues
A blog commenting on various aspects of the private collecting and trade in archaeological artefacts today and their effect on the archaeological record.
http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2011/12/looking-for-lava-treasure.html
I always say that if I found 500 gold Roman coins, I would do the right thing and quickly report the 400 coins that I found...
if they’re Roman coins, shouldn’t Italy have a claim?
Go for 400 and reporting 100, they're small.
Neither one, only the Roman Empire can claim that treasure!
“Go for 400 and reporting 100, they’re small.”
—
Not if they’re AE1.
I’d report the 3 coins I found.
The state employs looters with phds to steal treasures like these.
Regards,
I would report something that I found somewhere else.
The miral of the story: hide any treasure you find. Melt it down for the gold. Sell it on the black market.
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