Be Careful What Type Of Coin You Find In The UK !

There were two things I found interesting from the original article.

1. She found this item 14 years ago (1996). She is accused of violating a law passed in 1996 (14 years ago). Who is to say that she did not find the item days or months prior to the law being passed? If so, why does the law apply to a crime committed before the law existed? Is there a statute of limitations for possible crimes you committed at age nine? Is every Briton bringing an ancient treasure to a museum presumed guilty, having to prove their innocence? If you inherit a treasure from a relative that has owned it for decades, are you a criminal for not reporting it the day you receive it?

2. She was ordered to pay 25£ of the 300£ court costs. This implies that the court did not want to punish her severely. This may actually make further cases less likely to be prosecuted.


-wheatiefan

You may want to really check out the laws in your area if you do find anything of possible historic value. You may really be shocked at what could happen to you and/or your family.
If for instance you should be digging in your yard and come up with plates, bones, dishes, etc from the past, and you do report that find, you may well be in for a shock. It happened to someone I know. They found a lot of stuff like that in their yard while turning over the area for some roses. Digging further down they found large stones covering a possible grave.
So now comes in the authorities and some agency for the presevation of Indian and historic artifats. His house is now conficated and his family is give a FAIR PRICE for their home. They are given only days to GET OUT. The house is demolished, the entire area is excavated for the rest of the so called valuable artifacts. As it turns out his home was built on what at one time was an old so called Indian trail.
Naturally his neighbors were really happy too since many of them too were moved out.
So be carefull of what you do with what you find anywhere.