What is Treasure and how do I report it in England and Wales?

Updated

Treasure is a legal category of archaeological find in England and Wales, and if you discover something that may qualify, you are legally obliged to report it to the coroner within 14 days. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), run from the British Museum and Amgueddfa Cymru, publishes guidance on identifying, reporting and managing Treasure finds, and its site finds.org.uk is where you record and search finds. This article explains what makes a find Treasure, how the reporting process works, and where to find the official PAS guidance.

What counts as Treasure

Treasure is defined in law, not by how valuable or old something looks. The PAS Treasure guidance covers the criteria used to identify and manage Treasure finds in England and Wales. In broad terms, a find is assessed against conditions such as:

  • Material and age: objects made of gold or silver that are at least 300 years old when found.
  • Prehistoric base-metal assemblages: groups of base-metal objects from the prehistoric period.
  • Associated objects: items found together with Treasure objects, such as a container or the remains of one.
  • Coins: hoards of coins that meet the age and metal thresholds set out in the guidance.

Because the exact thresholds and exceptions are legal tests, treat the PAS Treasure guidance as the authoritative starting point rather than a summary. If you are unsure whether your find qualifies, the safe course is to report it and let the process determine the outcome.

How to report a Treasure find

The reporting route runs through the coroner for the area where the find was made, with PAS recording supporting the process. The steps below follow the general framework described in the PAS guidance; the site's user guides explain how to record finds on finds.org.uk as a registered member.

  1. Identify the find. Note what the object is, its material, and where and when you found it. Photographs and an accurate description matter — PAS recorder guides cover how to take and edit photographs of finds and how to write a good object description.
  2. Record the location precisely. Plot the grid reference using maps or GPS. The PAS "how to" guides for recorders explain how to plot grid references, which supports both recording and any later Treasure case.
  3. Report within 14 days. Contact the coroner for the area, or report through your local Finds Liaison Officer, who can advise on the correct route. Do not clean, alter or dispose of the find before reporting.
  4. Record the find with PAS. Registering on finds.org.uk and recording the object creates a permanent public record and connects you to the Scheme's support. The site guides explain how to make the most of finds.org.uk as a registered member.
  5. Cooperate with the assessment. The find may be examined and valued as part of the Treasure process. The PAS Treasure guidance sets out how finds are identified, reported and managed.

What to expect after reporting

The find is assessed against the legal criteria. If it is confirmed as Treasure, ownership and any reward are handled through the established process; if it is not, it can still be recorded as a normal PAS find. Recording non-Treasure finds is voluntary but is the core purpose of the Scheme — its records cover objects from the Bronze Age through to post-medieval times, as the featured finds on the homepage illustrate (for example a Bronze Age arrowhead from Cheshire, a Medieval brooch from Berkshire, and a Roman hoard from Worcestershire).

Where to find the official guidance

finds.org.uk is the home of the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the entry point for all of the above. The site organises its help into three guide areas:

Guide area What it covers
How to use this site Site guides and how to make the most of finds.org.uk as a registered member
Detecting guidance Guidance for finders
Treasure guidance Identifying, reporting and managing Treasure finds in England and Wales
"How to" guides for recorders Recording skills such as photographing finds, plotting grid references with maps and GPS, and writing good object descriptions

You can browse all PAS guides from the site's user guides section.

Practical points to keep in mind

  • The 14-day reporting duty is a legal obligation, not a suggestion — report first, ask questions afterwards.
  • Don't clean or repair a potential Treasure find. Cleaning can remove evidence and may affect assessment.
  • Record location accurately from the start. A precise grid reference supports both the PAS record and any Treasure case.
  • Recording is not only for Treasure. PAS supports the recording of archaeological finds discovered by the public across England and Wales, so ordinary finds are welcome too.
  • Use the Scheme's own guides for the detail. The criteria and process are legal matters, and the PAS Treasure guidance is the reference to follow.