Treasure Trove
Treasure Trove is a scheme managed by National Museums Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Government's Treasure Trove Scotland programme. The scheme is used to protect and manage archaeological and historical finds that may be of cultural, historical or scientific value to Scotland's national heritage. Treasure Trove plays a vital role in securing finds which are then preserved in national collections or in museums open to the public.
How does Treasure Trove work in Scotland?
In Scotland, all artefacts found in the wild that have no documented ownershipcan be declared a 'Treasure Trove' under Scottish ownership law. This includes historic coins, jewellery, pottery, weapons and other objects that may reveal important information about Scotland's history and culture.
Process:
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Finding and notification: any finder of a historic object, e.g. using a metal detector, should notify the Treasure Trove programme of their find. An initial assessment of the object will then be carried out by the National Museum-led unit.
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Assessment: the Scottish Treasure Trove Advisory Panel (TTAP) will assess whether the object is of cultural or historical value. If so, it may be recommended for inclusion in public collections.
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Compensation: if the object is considered significant, the finder may be compensated with a financial reward.
Treasure Trove Significance:
Treasure Trove enables the enrichment of the nation's collections and ensures that valuable historical objects are not lost or sold into private hands without public access. It also encourages finders to report finds and participate in the preservation of cultural heritage.
The scheme is valued for its approach to protecting Scotland's history and offers finders an incentive to legally hand over finds to public institutions.