Posted 08/08/2016 8:51 pm
As I understand it, the Museum has been given until that time to raise the funds to buy it. If they can raise the cash, the finder/landowner would then get paid this money, and all of the coins would belong to the museum. The finder and landowner wouldn't get to keep a single one, though the "reward" paid is full market value.
If the Museum can't or won't buy it, then legal title of the coins reverts to the landowner - by the Treasure Act of 1996, the Crown waived its ancient right to unilaterally claim title to buried treasure on private land in England. There's usually a written agreement between a metal detectorist and a landowner, to split the proceeds of the sale of any findings, so coins that make it through to this stage usually then go straight to auction so that this can be done fairly; if the finder and/or landowner want to keep any specific coins, they either come to an agreement beforehand or compete for it on the auction floor with their own money.
If the Museum can't or won't buy it, then legal title of the coins reverts to the landowner - by the Treasure Act of 1996, the Crown waived its ancient right to unilaterally claim title to buried treasure on private land in England. There's usually a written agreement between a metal detectorist and a landowner, to split the proceeds of the sale of any findings, so coins that make it through to this stage usually then go straight to auction so that this can be done fairly; if the finder and/or landowner want to keep any specific coins, they either come to an agreement beforehand or compete for it on the auction floor with their own money.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
