Treasure finds

If you find an item that you believe is treasure, you must report it to the Coroners Service via a Find Liaison Officer within either:

• 14 days of discovery
• 14 days of realising an item might be treasure, even if you have had it for longer

The Hampshire Cultural Trust is the Local Find Liaison Officer for Hampshire, but you can report to any county's Find Liaison Officer Scheme contacts.

You only need to report items officially defined as treasure.

After a find is reported

A local Finds Liaison Officer or museum curator will contact you to talk about how and where you found the item and give you a receipt.

The Finds Liaison Officer or museum curator will then write a report, and museums will be given a chance to express an interest in the item if it’s likely to be treasure.

HM Coroner will then hold an inquest and determine whether the item is treasure or not. You might be invited to the inquest, along with the site occupier and landowner of where the treasure was found and be given the opportunity to ask questions.

Further information

For more information about finding treasure, email the British Museum at [email protected]

For more information about a specific treasure find, email the British Museum at [email protected]

For other enquiries, email the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) at [email protected]