Treasure Act 1996
Okay kiddo, let's talk about the Treasure Act of 1996. Have you ever found a cool rock, coin or maybe some old jewelry while playing outside? Well, sometimes when people find really old and valuable stuff like this, it's important for them to tell someone about it.
That's where the Treasure Act comes in! The Treasure Act is a law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that says if someone finds some old treasure that has been buried in the ground for a long time, they need to tell the government about it.
The government (or more specifically, the local coroner) will then carefully examine the treasure to figure out how old it is and where it came from. If the treasure is over 300 years old and made of important materials like gold or silver, then it legally counts as 'Treasure.'
So, who gets to keep the treasure? Well, if the treasure is officially declared as Treasure, then the government will offer to buy the treasure from whoever found it for a fair price. If the person who found the treasure decides to sell it to the government, then they will get the money and the government will take the treasure.
But, if the person who found the treasure doesn't want to sell it, then they can keep it- but they have to share it with the landowner (if they weren't the ones who owned the land where the treasure was found).
So, the Treasure Act is all about making sure that really old and valuable things are properly looked after and recorded. And if someone finds some actual buried treasure, it's important to tell someone about it!
That's where the Treasure Act comes in! The Treasure Act is a law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that says if someone finds some old treasure that has been buried in the ground for a long time, they need to tell the government about it.
The government (or more specifically, the local coroner) will then carefully examine the treasure to figure out how old it is and where it came from. If the treasure is over 300 years old and made of important materials like gold or silver, then it legally counts as 'Treasure.'
So, who gets to keep the treasure? Well, if the treasure is officially declared as Treasure, then the government will offer to buy the treasure from whoever found it for a fair price. If the person who found the treasure decides to sell it to the government, then they will get the money and the government will take the treasure.
But, if the person who found the treasure doesn't want to sell it, then they can keep it- but they have to share it with the landowner (if they weren't the ones who owned the land where the treasure was found).
So, the Treasure Act is all about making sure that really old and valuable things are properly looked after and recorded. And if someone finds some actual buried treasure, it's important to tell someone about it!