She was in deep trouble now. There was a law about discovering treasure that she had never heard of. If she had reported the find to the authorities, she would have been compensated for fair market value of the artifact. But the law says a person must report the artifact.
That said, only a numismatic would know the cryptic details of the 1996 law. She was no coin expert, British treasure trove laws were completely foreign to her, as any layperson. She was just a child who had found a shiny object in her backyard.
The Authorities Get Involved
The museum officials were not going to be ignored. In the case of the 1322 French piedfort, the staff took it to the next level. Ms. Harding would soon figure this out.
To that end, the South Shropshire coroner, Anthony Sibcy, was informed of her refusal to hand it over.
The Day She Found Out
Ms. Harding was especially surprised one day when the authorities showed up at her doorstep. A summons was issued, and it required her to appear at court.
She was shocked, surprised, and scared. How could she have done anything wrong? All she did was dig up a plaything as a child, and now the police were at her door.
The Treasure Act of 1996
Soon she learned that she had been prosecuted under the Treasure Act of 1996. The code of practice requires people turn in any treasure found within 14 days to the local coroner from where the artifact was found.
Failing to do so results in an offense against the person who found the treasure. The legally binding law affected no one until it affected Ms. Harding. She was the first British citizen to be arrested for the offense.
The Fine Print of the Treasure Act
The Treasure Act is very specific. It says that any object that is not a coin but made of at least 10% precious metals and is 300 years old or older must be reported to the coroner of the area in which it was found.
The finder has a 14-day window to report the treasure to the authorities. Ms. Harding had no idea about the Treasure Act of 1996. All of a sudden, she’s in deep trouble. How could she have known it would come to this?