Treasure Act UK: What Counts as Treasure and How to Report It

Yes, metal detecting is legal in the UK, provided you have the landowner's permission, stay off protected sites such as scheduled monuments, and report any possible Treasure (in Scotland, any archaeological find) as the law requires. In Northern Ireland, any digging to search for archaeological objects also needs a licence from the Department for Communities.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland use the Treasure Act 1996; Scotland uses common-law Treasure Trove, which catches far more. For where you can detect, see our UK metal detecting laws guide.

At a glance

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

What counts as Treasure under the Treasure Act 1996?

The definition is in section 1 of the Treasure Act 1996 and the Treasure (Designation) Order 2002, as amended in 2023. A find is Treasure if it fits at least one category:

• Precious metal objects: a non-coin object at least 300 years old with at least 10% gold or silver by weight.
• Precious metal coins: at least two coins from the same find, each at least 300 years old and at least 10% gold or silver.
• Any coins: at least ten coins of any metal from the same find, each at least 300 years old.
• Prehistoric gold or silver: any non-coin prehistoric object with any gold or silver in it - no 10% threshold.
• Prehistoric base metal groups: any non-coin base metal object that is one of at least two prehistoric base metal objects in the same find.
• The 2023 significance class: any object at least 200 years old, any part of which is metal, that gives an "exceptional insight" (see below).
• Former treasure trove: finds made substantially (more than 50%) of gold or silver, deliberately hidden with the intention of recovery, whose owners or heirs are unknown. No 300-year rule applies here, so a buried hoard of sovereigns can qualify.
• Associated objects: anything, of any material, found as part of the same find as Treasure - the pot holding a hoard, for example.

"Prehistoric" means the Iron Age or any earlier period (article 2 of the 2002 Order). Objects are part of "the same find" if found together, or left together and later separated. The coroner decides, and the Treasure Act 1996 Code of Practice (3rd Revision) warns that single coins from one field could turn out to be a dispersed hoard.

Not Treasure: unworked natural objects such as fossils and minerals, wreck, and (per the Code) gilded or plated objects on that basis alone. Since 30 July 2023, some finds on Church of England land and at cathedrals are also excluded.

What changed in 2023?

The Treasure (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2023 (SI 2023/404) was made on 30 March 2023 and came into force four months later, on 30 July 2023. It extends to England and Wales and to Northern Ireland, and its amendments "do not apply in relation to objects found before this Order comes into force."

It added any object, any part of which is metal, that "provides an exceptional insight into an aspect of national or regional history, archaeology or culture" because of its rarity as a UK example of its type, the location or region where it was found, or its connection with a particular person or event. The object must be at least 200 years old. A group from the same find can also qualify together.

The Code stresses that objects "could be rare but not provide such an insight and would therefore not be treasure." If in doubt, report: the Code says "Where a finder is uncertain if a find is treasure they should report it."

Worked examples: is this find Treasure?

Only the coroner can formally decide.

Is a single gold coin Treasure?

Usually not. The Act only catches coins in groups. The Code says single coins of precious metal (or other metals) "are not treasure" unless:

• it was made into an object - such as a coin turned into a pendant, so a gold one over 300 years old qualifies;
• it was found with Treasure - as part of the same find; or
• it meets the 2023 test - the Code says "Single coins will be treasure where they meet the significance criteria" (finds made on or after 30 July 2023).

One catch: if you later find more coins from the same hoard, the later coins can be Treasure, but the Code says the original coin does not become Treasure.

Is a hoard of Roman bronze coins Treasure?

Yes, if there are at least ten from the same find, each over 300 years old; the 10% rule is irrelevant. Nine or fewer fall outside that category unless they prove part of a dispersed hoard, are found with Treasure, or meet the 2023 test. By contrast, just two Roman silver coins from one find are Treasure if each is at least 10% silver.

Is a 250-year-old copper alloy buckle Treasure after the 2023 change?

Only if it is exceptional, and only if found on or after 30 July 2023. As a base metal object under 300 years old, it fits no original category, but it clears the first hurdles of the 2023 class: metal, and at least 200 years old.

The deciding question is "exceptional insight". The Code says an object may count as rare if it "meaningfully expands the known UK corpus" of its type, and a link to a person or event needs "strong positive evidence". If it is of higher quality or a more unusual type than your usual finds, or an expert says it may qualify, you may have reasonable grounds to report it.

Is a Bronze Age axe hoard Treasure?

Yes. The Bronze Age is earlier than the Iron Age, so it counts as prehistoric. Two or more prehistoric base metal objects from the same find are Treasure, and so is anything else in that find (unworked natural objects aside).

A single Bronze Age axe is not normally Treasure unless found with Treasure or meeting the 2023 test.

What should I do at the moment of the find?

The Code of Practice (Section D, para 10) asks you to record the findspot to at least a 10 metre square (an 8-digit National Grid Reference; GPS or What3Words are fine), the depth, whether the land is cultivated or grass, anything else in the ground, and photos or a sketch. Do not clean it. The Code warns that any reward "may be reduced where cleaning and consequent damage has occurred". In England and Wales, if you find something below the plough soil or a concentration of finds, the Code recommends you stop digging and seek archaeological help - your Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) is often the best first contact.

Our UK Detector app logs each find with location and photos and generates an FLO finds sheet (or, in Scotland, a Treasure Trove email).

How long do I have to report Treasure?

Under section 8 of the Treasure Act, you must notify the coroner for the district where a possible Treasure find was made within 14 days. The period starts the day after the find or, if later, the day you first believe or have reason to believe it is Treasure.

What is the penalty for not reporting Treasure?

Failing to notify is an offence punishable on summary conviction by up to three months' imprisonment, a fine up to level 5 on the standard scale, or both. It is a defence to show you had, and continued to have, a reasonable excuse. The Code adds that anyone holding unreported Treasure may also be committing an offence under the Theft Act 1968.

How do I report Treasure in practice?

In practice you report through the Code of Practice route:

• England: report to your local FLO of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Doing so with full details fulfils your legal obligation; the coroner is then notified for you.
• Wales: report to a PAS Cymru FLO or the Treasure Registry at Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales.
• Northern Ireland: report directly to National Museums NI, which passes the details to the coroner (Code, para E.45).

If someone reports for you, the duty stays with you, so check it has been done.

What happens after you report Treasure?

For a find a museum wants, the Code describes seven steps, typically taking around 12 to 18 months:

1. You report and deposit the find.
2. An expert writes a report for the coroner (target: 90 days).
3. Museums have 28 days to say whether they want it.
4. The coroner holds an inquest to decide whether it is Treasure.
5. Provisional valuations go to the Treasure Valuation Committee.
6. The Committee recommends a reward and split; the Secretary of State decides.
7. The museum pays, the object passes to it and the reward is paid.

How is a Treasure reward valued and split?

The Committee values finds at market value, "as reflected in the anticipated hammer price" at auction, as at the time of finding. Rewards "are not a matter of negotiation". Paragraph E.108 says the Committee "normally recommends that landowners receive 50% of the reward, and that the remaining 50% is shared between the finders", taking account of (but not bound by) any finder-landowner agreement. Agree terms in writing before you detect - see our guide to getting detecting permission.

Can a Treasure reward be reduced or refused?

Yes - possibly to nothing. Paragraph E.113 of the Code lists grounds for no reward or a reduced ("abated") one, including late reporting without a reasonable excuse; reasonable grounds for believing the finder was trespassing; permission from someone the finder knew (or could have found out) had no authority to give it; accidental trespass not convincingly shown to be unintentional; misreporting the findspot or handing in only part of a find; damaging the object or its archaeology; and detecting on a protected site without consent.

What happens if no museum wants it?

The find is disclaimed. The coroner tells the landowner it will be returned to the finder in 28 days unless they object; if they do, it is held until you agree between you.

Do I have to report finds that are not Treasure?

In England and Wales, no - but the Code says finders there "are encouraged to report all finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme". Each record adds a findspot to a public database used by archaeologists.

Northern Ireland is different. The Code states: "In Northern Ireland all finds must be reported to National Museums NI." Separately, Article 42 of the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (NI) Order 1995 requires a finder of an archaeological object to report it within 14 days to National Museums NI, the Department for Communities or a police station. (This duty does not apply where you believe the object is Treasure - that goes through the Treasure Act route instead.)

How does Treasure Trove work in Scotland?

The Treasure Act does not apply in Scotland. Finds belong to neither finder nor landowner: the Treasure Trove Scotland Code of Practice (published 25 March 2026) calls them "ownerless property" (bona vacantia) which the Crown can choose to claim, through the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (KLTR).

• Report everything archaeological. The Code says "finders have a legal duty to report all archaeological finds", of "any type, material, or size". The gold coin, bronze coins and buckle above would all be reported, though claimed finds will usually be over 100 years old.
• Exemptions. The finders' page says you need not report modern items such as modern ceramics and glass or modern coins, nor natural objects such as fossils or animal bones.
• How to report. Email images and a findspot to the Treasure Trove Unit at National Museums Scotland (treasuretrove@nms.ac.uk) or use the online form. Finds not claimed are returned with a certificate.
• Rewards. The Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) recommends a museum and an ex gratia Finder Reward linked to market value, which is the maximum; the KLTR decides. Rewards can be cut or withheld for cleaning finds, a vague findspot, detecting on scheduled sites or having no permission.
• Landowners have "no property rights to portable antiquities" and "no claim to a reward payment" unless there is a written agreement with the detectorist (landowner guidance).

The Code warns that deliberately not reporting finds, or trying to sell them, may see you reported to the police for theft, and there is no time limit on the Crown's right to claim unreported finds.

Treasure rules compared: England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland

Detecting on protected sites without consent is a separate offence everywhere: in England under section 42 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979; in Wales, since 4 November 2024, under section 60 of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023 (see Cadw); in Northern Ireland under Article 29 of the 1995 Order; and the Treasure Trove Code says metal detecting on scheduled monuments in Scotland is a criminal offence.

Is wreck material Treasure?

No. Section 3(7) of the Treasure Act says an object is not Treasure if it is wreck under Part IX of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 - "jetsam, flotsam, lagan and derelict found in or on the shores of the sea or any tidal water". GOV.UK guidance says all wreck from UK territorial waters, "regardless of size or significance", should be reported to the Receiver of Wreck "within 28 days of the recovery". Failing to declare a wreck find without a reasonable excuse carries a £2,500 fine and loss of salvage rights.

But the Treasure Act Code says the Act does apply to objects below the low-tide mark that were originally deposited on dry land, unless they came from a wreck. Heading for the coast? Browse our UK beach guides.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as Treasure in the UK?

Under the Treasure Act: gold or silver objects over 300 years old, groups of old coins, prehistoric gold or silver, prehistoric base metal groups, and anything found with them. Since 30 July 2023 it also covers exceptionally significant metal objects at least 200 years old.

Is a single gold coin Treasure?

Usually not. It is only Treasure if made into an object such as jewellery, found with other Treasure, or (if found on or after 30 July 2023) meeting the significance criteria.

How long do I have to report Treasure?

14 days from the day after the find or, if later, from when you first believe or have reason to believe it is Treasure. Reporting to your FLO in England or Wales, or to National Museums NI in Northern Ireland, meets the duty.

What is the penalty for not reporting Treasure?

Up to three months' imprisonment, a fine up to level 5 on the standard scale, or both, unless you had a reasonable excuse.

How is a Treasure reward split?

The Treasure Valuation Committee normally recommends 50% to the landowner and 50% shared between the finders. Rewards can be cut or refused for late reporting, trespass or detecting on protected sites.

What happens if a museum does not want my find?

It is disclaimed and returned to the finder, unless the landowner objects within 28 days of being notified by the coroner.

Do I have to report finds in Scotland?

Yes. Finders in Scotland must report all archaeological finds to the Treasure Trove Unit, apart from listed exemptions such as modern items. Landowners have no reward claim without a written agreement.

Is something I find on the beach Treasure?

Not if it is wreck. Wreck is excluded from the Treasure Act and must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck within 28 days of recovery.