THE publication of long-awaited legislation covering how the discovery of buried treasure or other archaeological objects will be handled has been welcomed by one of the Islanders who unearthed the world’s largest Celtic coin hoard in a field in Grouville.
More than 13 years after Richard Miles and Reg Mead discovered Le Câtillon II, a collection of around 70,000 coins and other artefacts dating back 2,000 years, the draft Heritage (Jersey) Law has been opened up to public consultation prior to a States Assembly debate later this year.
Dealing with the hoard proved to be a lengthy and complex process for the Island in the absence of clear legislation akin to the UK’s Treasure Act.
The draft version of Jersey’s new legislation combines some of the methods applicable in the UK with principles of customary law that are peculiar to Jersey, dating back centuries and being – in some cases – unwritten.
With an over-riding aim of ensuring Jersey complies with international standards and conventions, the draft law sets out procedures for mandatory reporting and an inquest for significant finds, at which it will be determined whether the discovered objects qualify as “treasure trove” finds, or “national antiquities”.
The legislation spells out an obligation for the Economic Development Minister to ensure treasure trove and objects and antiquities are preserved and made accessible to the public by depositing them with Jersey Heritage.
A “fair” reward system, based on advice from experts in archaeology, history, and numismatics (the study of coins), will be introduced to recognise the contributions of both finder and landowner.
The protracted process for dealing with Le Câtillon II highlighted the need for Jersey to introduce an appropriate legal framework. It was almost a decade between the discovery in February 2012 and the announcement in December 2021 that the government was to buy the hoard for £4.25 million.
Since the acquisition was finalised, there have been a series of delays in publishing the draft law, which is open for consultation until 8 September. Feedback will be incorporated into a final version which is expected to be lodged for debate by the end of 2025.
Mr Miles told the JEP that while he anticipated there may be some minor tweaks to the law before it reaches the States Assembly, he believed it was “95 to 98% there”.
“Certainly from the detectorists’ point of view, it means we can carry on our hobby and know there’ll be a system to regulate what happens to objects that are found,” he said.
“There may still be some questions about what would happen to items found on beaches, but in general I think it’s fair and does the job.”
Dr Sarah Buckingham, director of historic properties and environment for Jersey Heritage, said the consultation on the draft law was a “really important” stage of the process, after several years of discussion with the government.
“It has been slow, but I feel we are in a really good place to get the law finalised and brought in,” she said.
Le Câtillon II hoard
- The hoard comprised around 70,000 coins as well as gold torques and ingots, and a unique leather purse, said to be the only Iron Age example of its kind.
- Declared by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest Celtic Coin Hoard.
- Detectorists Richard Miles and Reg Mead had been investigating the possibility of a big fins for decades. Their find was first reported on the front page of the JEP on Saturday 4 February 2012.
- In 2021, after extensive negotiations, and competing valuations, Jersey’s government paid £4.25 million for the hoard, using the Civil Asset Recovery Fund, which contains money recovered from the proceeds of crime.
