Determining Museum Interest in a find

When a report is completed on an item of potential Treasure, a determination needs to be made as to what will happen to it. If the opinion is that it is Not Treasure, then the Coroner will be informed of this and the find will be returned to the finder or landowner.

If the find is believed to be Treasure, museums have the right to acquire it. In order to determine whether a museum wishes to acquire the find, the FLO will take the completed report and pass it to curators of museums that collect from the area where the find was made. The curators of those museums will decide whether the wish to express an interest in acquiring the find. The British Museum or the National Museum Wales may also wish to acquire the find, particularly if there is no local interest.

It can take a little while as curators make their decision. The museum that acquires the find must fund the reward to the finder and landowner, so often curators need to check with their management to ensure they have the backing to make this acquisition.