A Young woman in Ludlow become the the first person to be convicted of failing to hand in suspected treasure coin in Britain. Kate Harding, 23, was prosecuted under the Treasure Act after she ignored orders to report the rare find to a coroner. She found a 700-year-old silver piedfort marking Charles IV's 1322 coin in her garden discovered 14 years ago as she worked in the garden with her mother. When her mother's past away last year, she approached museum experts with the coin who identified it as a piedfort, but she did not inform the coroner.
Photo by dailymail.uk: Kate Harding outside the courtThis is a landmark case in UK for Treasure Act 1996, treasure finder fail to report Treasure. Under the Treasure Act 1996, treasure is defined as any single object at least 300 years old which is not a coin but has a precious metal content of at least 10 per cent. The Act gives a finder 14 days to inform the local coroner of potential treasure and creates an offence of failing to carry out that duty where this is not followed.
Photo by BBC News: The silver piedfort
Photo by dailmail.UK: The silver piedfortThe silver piedfort marked Charles IV's ascension to the French throne in 1322. The exact use of piedforts is unknown. They are generally thicker than coins and were not used as currency. Experts have suggested they were used as guides for mint workers or as reckoning counters for officials. Only three others have been found in the UK. One found in 2007 was bought by the British Museum for £1,800.
Ludlow magistrates heard how Miss Harding had ignored calls and letters from Ludlow Museum advising her to report the piedfort to the district coroner once it had been identified last February. Museum staff then notified Anthony Sibcy, the coroner for South Shropshire, who informed police. Miss Harding initially claimed she had lost the piedfort, the court heard. Defending Miss Harding, Brendan Reedy said she had failed to notify the coroner because of ' disorganisation' on her part and that the artefact had a sentimental value to her. Miss Harding, who lives with her boyfriend on the outskirts of Ludlow, admitted having an object that is believed to have been treasure and not reporting it to the coroner. She faced up to three months in jail or a fine, or both, but walked free from court on Wednesday with a conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £25 of the £300 costs.
Ludlow magistrates heard how Miss Harding had ignored calls and letters from Ludlow Museum advising her to report the piedfort to the district coroner once it had been identified last February. Museum staff then notified Anthony Sibcy, the coroner for South Shropshire, who informed police. Miss Harding initially claimed she had lost the piedfort, the court heard. Defending Miss Harding, Brendan Reedy said she had failed to notify the coroner because of ' disorganisation' on her part and that the artefact had a sentimental value to her. Miss Harding, who lives with her boyfriend on the outskirts of Ludlow, admitted having an object that is believed to have been treasure and not reporting it to the coroner. She faced up to three months in jail or a fine, or both, but walked free from court on Wednesday with a conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £25 of the £300 costs.
The court only fine her with a small fee. Maybe this action by the court is just a warning to all treasure hunter out there who found a treasure but will not report it. Some people really gain a lots from treasure that they find. She found that coin in her house 14 years ago but the Act already stated any suspected treasure need to be reported. Treasure found maybe an important artifact to that particular country. But this young woman isn't a treasure hunter. She look like a victim for the authority effort to stop metal detector treasure hunter in the country. What is your say about this?
Source: Dailymail.uk, BBC News
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