treasure valuation committee

Treasure Valuation:

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 Londons leading coin dealers. She is a respected expert on Medieval coins.

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)