Department for Culture Media and Sport
the treasure act 1996
The Treasure Act 1996 governs what is defined as treasure and how treasure finds must be reported and dealt with in England and Wales. The Act was revised in 2003 to give a wider definition of treasure.
If you think you have found treasure, read about Treasure Finds.
To read what qualifies as treasure get a copy of the Treasure Act Code of Practice.
Changes to the Treasure Act
The Treasure Act 1996 is changing; proposed amendments are being made under the Coroners Bill and it’s proposed that administration is handed over from DCMS to the British Museum.
- Coroners Bill
The Coroners Bill, proposes to move treasure cases out of the mainstream work of Coroners. An expert “Coroner for Treasure” would handle all cases.
The Bill also incorporates other amendments designed to improve the treasure system. Full details of the Bill can be found on the Department Constitutional Affairs website
- Transfer of administrative responsibility to the British Museum
It’s proposed that the British Museum take over full administrative responsibility for treasure from DCMS to improve the efficiency and delivery of the process.
The DCMS currently carry out administrative functions related to treasure, such as supporting the Treasure Valuation Committee, although the British Museum provides much of the support for treasure cases.
Treasure Annual Report
The Treasure Annual Report 2004 was published on 17 January 2007.
Past annual reports can be found in the cultural property publication archive.
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