.jpg)
Articles by Trevor Austin on the Treasure Valuation Committee as appeared in THE SEARCHER and TREASURE HUNTING magazines.
Treasure Valuation Committee 1 ![]()
Treasure Valuation Committee 2 ![]()
Treasure Valuation Committee 3 ![]()
Treasure Valuation Comparison Article ![]()
Treasure Valuation Abatement article ![]()
To
encourage responsible behaviour by finders, the likely market value of
each Treasure find is established by the independent Treasure Valuation
Committee.
The
Committee is made up of experts in the various types of antiquity likely
to be inspected, an official from the leading metal detectorist body, and
an expert on museums and their collections.
It
values each Treasure find on the basis of willing buyer/willing seller,
and expects Treasure finds to have only had a light cleaning to help its
identification. The finder, the find site owner, and the acquiring museum
are informed of the valuation.
Once
all parties have accepted the valuation, the museum is invoiced for the
agreed amount.
As
soon as the Crown receives the agreed valuation, ownership of the Treasure
item passes to the museum, and it is this sum which is then made as ex
gratia payments for the finder and the find site
owner.
Who
are the members of the Treasure Valuation
Committee?
Professor
Norman Palmer
Appointed
to chair the Committee in 2001, he is professor of law at University
College London. He is a leading expert on art law and on the law of
Treasure in particular. He
has been a Committee member since 1997.
Dr
Jack Ogden
Formerly
Secretary of the National Goldsmiths’ Association, he is an expert on
ancient metallurgy and has first-hand experience of the antiquities
market. He was reappointed to the Committee in 2001.
May
Sinclair
Appointed
to the Committee in 2001, she is a consultant to the Coin Department at Spink
& Son Limited, one of
John Cherry
Former keeper:Romano British Antiquities at the British Museum
Peter Clayton
Writer, Lecturer and expert on ancient archaeological artefacts
Trevor
Austin
The General Secretary of the National Council for Metal Detecting. This
role allows him to liaise between the Committee and finders of Treasure,
who are overwhelmingly metal detector users. He was appointed to the Committee in December
2003.
Professor Ian Carradice, (University of St. Andrews, expert on Roman coins).
Dr Tim Pestell (Keeper of Archaeology at Norwich Castle Museum)
