Latest hoard of coins to be found in a Derbyshire cave is declared ‘treasure’. Fascinating collection, but interesting to me for another reason.
Once, when taking part in a rescue excavation in Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland I was excited to find a medieval gold ring set with a garnet. (Slightly too big for me, unfortunately.) An inquest was held to determine whether it was treasure trove or not. If so I would be awarded the full market value…
A couple of semi-sleepless nights later I heard the sad news – not treasure, therefore no compensation for me. The ring was passed over to the Ulster Museum who were in charge of the excavation and remains there I believe to this day.