Anglo Saxon Coin Theft

[Serendipity]

Four metal detectorists 'stole £3million haul of Anglo Saxon coins and jewellery after finding it in a field and tried to sell it on the black market'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7534935/Metal-detectorist-stole-3million-Anglo-Saxon-coins-field-Worcester-Crown-Court.html

 

[RichmondStacker]

I wonder how many people were killed for those coins and how many times they have been taken by governments and officials.  Hundreds of years later the government are still trying to send people to prison over them. 

[universalcurrency]

According to the Mail the metal the 'co conspirators' didn't tell the landowner or tenant farmer, so I guess there lies there downfall.  Or could have been someone from the auctioneer who was suspicious of the provenance?

So the question is if one of us forum users mislays there hard earned stack in the garden, does it belong to the state when it is eventually dug up in say a century or 2?

[Notafront4adragon]

3 hours ago, universalcurrency said:

According to the Mail the metal the 'co conspirators' didn't tell the landowner or tenant farmer, so I guess there lies there downfall.  Or could have been someone from the auctioneer who was suspicious of the provenance?

So the question is if one of us forum users mislays there hard earned stack in the garden, does it belong to the state when it is eventually dug up in say a century or 2?

Nope I think to the land owner. Likely less than 500yrs old so won't be treasure as far as I understand it

No idea how much they could of kept if they had done it by the book though.

[sovereignsteve]

2 minutes ago, Notafront4adragon said:

No idea how much they could of kept if they had done it by the book though.

these finds are usually split 50:50 with the land-owner I believe

[KDave]

How could they have gotten away with it, does anyone have any ideas? 

I think the downfall was due to 4 people finding the horde, if it was just one person you could over a lifetime of discipline sell the coins off gradually, perhaps 'finding' a few coins here and there all over the place on your detecting travels, and live quite well. But 4 people is a problem knowing human nature; it would only take one person to break ranks or get caught to screw the rest, the best option would be to declare and hope for half.