Change to definition of ‘treasure’ will help museums, says Minister

Proposed changes to the legal definition of ‘treasure’ will help museums acquire important historical items, the UK’s Arts and Heritage Minister has said.

Lord Parkinson said the changes, which would apply to the Treasure Act 1996, are needed due to the growing number of detectorists and the increase in significant finds.

Under the current definition, ‘treasure’ should be at least 300 years old and made at least in part of a precious metal, or be part of a collection of valuable objects or artefacts.

Under the proposed changes, exceptional finds would need to be at least 200 years old, regardless of the type of metal they are made of.

If a coroner assesses an artefact as being legally treasure, it can be acquired by a museum rather than sold privately.

Lord Parkinson said that although the existing Treasure Act has saved around 6,000 objects, which have been shared with more than 220 museums, the definition of treasure “is very specific”.

He added that the new law would also bring in a new test of ‘significance’, which would mean an item could be classed as treasure if it is “significant to a part of local, national or regional history, or if it's connected with a particular individual or event”.