What is the biggest metal detecting find ever?
Verdict summary
Some of the biggest metal detecting finds are in England: the Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver (2009), the Hoxne Hoard of Roman gold and silver (1992) and the Frome Hoard of about 52,000 Roman coins (2010). In Australia, the Hand of Faith, one of the largest gold nuggets found with a detector, was found near Kingower, Victoria, in 1980.
These finds were reported under England's treasure law and are now in museums, with rewards paid to the finders and landowners.
Sources: Portable Antiquities Scheme; British Museum; Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
What happens if you find treasure in the UK? The Treasure Act 1996 covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Finds that legally count as treasure, mainly gold and silver objects and coin hoards over 300 years old, must be reported to the local coroner within 14 days. A museum may acquire the find, and a reward is usually shared between the finder and the landowner.
What is the most valuable treasure ever found? Among the most valuable treasures ever recovered are shipwreck cargoes: the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, found off Florida by Mel Fisher's team in 1985, and the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes coins recovered by Odyssey Marine in 2007 and returned to Spain after a court case. The San José galleon off Colombia, found in 2015, may be worth more but its cargo has not been recovered.
Primary sources cited
- Portable Antiquities Scheme
- British Museum
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery