Can I Keep What I Find Metal Detecting?

Holly
Aug 18
4 min read

Updated: Aug 20

For many beginners, this is the question that sits at the back of their mind from the very first swing of the detector: if I dig something up, can I keep it?

The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. In the UK, what happens after you make a find depends on three things: where you’re detecting, what you’ve found, and what the law says about it. Understanding these rules is essential if you want to enjoy the hobby without falling foul of the law.

The Landowner Comes First

The starting point is clear: landowners own what is in their soil. If you are detecting on private land with permission, the items you discover technically belong to the landowner.

Most detectorists and landowners agree on a sharing arrangement. This might be:

The detectorist keeps low-value items, like modern coins.
Valuable items are shared on a 50/50 basis.
Treasure rewards (more on that shortly) are split equally.

A written agreement makes this process clear and avoids disputes later. Without one, the landowner has the final say.

If you detect without permission, you are trespassing — and if you remove finds, it can be treated as theft.

The Treasure Act 1996

Not everything you dig up can go straight into your finds pouch to keep. The Treasure Act 1996 sets out what legally counts as Treasure and must be reported.

Treasure includes:

Items at least 300 years old and containing 10% or more precious metal (gold or silver).
Groups of coins at least 300 years old, even if not made of precious metal.
Two or more coins with gold or silver content, if they come from the same find, even if less than 300 years old.
Items deliberately hidden with the intention of recovery but not returned to their owner.

If you find something that qualifies, you must report it to the local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) within 14 days. The FLO works through the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), which records finds and handles Treasure cases.

Failure to report Treasure is a criminal offence.

What Happens to Treasure?

Once reported, a coroner’s inquest decides whether the find is officially Treasure. If it is, museums may want to acquire it.

If a museum purchases the find, the reward is usually split between the finder and the landowner. If no museum claims it, the object is returned to you.

This system ensures important historical finds are preserved for the nation while still rewarding detectorists and landowners.

Non-Treasure Finds

Most of what you find while detecting is not Treasure: coins, buttons, buckles, musket balls, and other everyday items.

Legally, these belong to the landowner. In practice, most agreements allow detectorists to keep them, unless something particularly valuable or significant turns up.

Even when a find isn’t Treasure, archaeologists encourage reporting it through the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). A single medieval coin or brooch may seem minor, but when recorded with others, it helps build a picture of our past.

Finds on Beaches

Many beginners head to beaches for their first hunts. Most beaches are owned by the Crown Estate, which grants permission for detecting under published terms.

You can usually keep modern coins and jewellery you recover. But if you find Treasure or significant archaeological objects, the same reporting laws apply.

Privately owned beaches or those under other management (such as local councils) may have their own rules. Always check before you detect.

Returning Modern Items

If you find a modern ring or piece of jewellery with identifiable ownership, you should make reasonable efforts to return it. This could mean handing it to the local police station. Keeping something that clearly belongs to someone else may be treated as theft.

Many detectorists take pride in reuniting people with lost items. It builds goodwill for the hobby and is often more rewarding than pocketing the item.

Why You Can’t Just Keep Everything

The rules may sound restrictive, but they exist for good reasons:

Respect for landowners: They have legal rights to everything in their soil.
Preservation of history: Laws like the Treasure Act 1996 protect artefacts that belong to our shared heritage.
Fairness: The reporting process ensures detectorists, landowners, and museums are all treated equitably.

By following these rules, detectorists earn trust and ensure the hobby remains open and respected.

Final Thoughts

So, can you keep what you find metal detecting? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

If you have permission from the landowner and the find isn’t Treasure, it’s usually yours to keep under whatever agreement you’ve made. But if it qualifies as Treasure, you must report it. And if you’re detecting without permission, you have no right to keep anything at all.

Handled responsibly, detecting isn’t about hoarding everything you dig. It’s about discovery, respect, and contributing to history — while still enjoying the thrill of uncovering what lies beneath the soil.