Woeful Treasure Find.

Aurangabad, India
September 22, 2015 3:49am CST
In my hometown, while pulling down a dilapidated old aquifer, during a road widening drive; some laborers came across a pot, which contained copper coins minted during the Medieval Age. They were smart enough to keep quiet about the find, till they disposed off the coins.However, one of them, under intoxication, spilled out something relating to the coins, and it all became common news in no time. In a matter of time the policemen took them to task, until every one of those coins was accounted for, from them. Looks like it is hard to keep your mouth shut, when you come across a,"find". Have you a similar incident to relate? Please feel free to do so.
7 people like this
7 responses
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Sep 15
Not sure what the exact laws are here, but I think that a find like that would have to be reported.
2 people like this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
The governments do give a reward, sometimes a fixed amount, or a percentage of the find, for such unearthing. Even in cases of robberies.
2 people like this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
22 Sep 15
@gregario888 I get excited when I find one lone low denomination coin lying on the pavement!
2 people like this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
@valmnz ha, ha ha! myself as well
2 people like this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
22 Sep 15
It is very important that discoveries like this are reported - they are vital to learning about the past. We have lost an untold amount of historical knowledge through the greed of treasure hunters, all over the world.
2 people like this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
Hi John! It's a pleasure to know you.That surely is the truth. It could be the reason that governments go to great lengths, to preserve such finds in museums, and in their treasuries.There place where I live, has one such museum, where even gold coins, unearthed during excavations, are on display.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
22 Sep 15
I don't know if anyone would get to keep the coins here, if they were of historical value. There's always one with a loose tongue.
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
They have value with coin collectors. surely the loose tongue spoiled the game for all of them. If the loose tongue happens to be a tippler, then every one is worse off for it.
@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Sep 15
Such discoveries have to be declared to the state to be sold in my country. The persons finding a "treasure" have 50% of its value, which is not bad : with no certificate they would obtain less from the whole find, and it will be declared soon or later to be legally sold. Keeping you mouth shut is not an option, except if you want to die poor with your treasure near you.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Sep 15
@gregario888 The declaration is not done to the police, but to the town hall or the administration of culture. Some people are sued times to times to have sold objects illegally (the more stupid are trying to sell them with internet, and they have the police at their door quickly if it is something important). In this case, they loose everything : they have a fine to pay more important than the value of what they sold. I remember one who lost his house to not have declared a little treasure, because he could not pay the fine. It is really not a clever move.
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
Your country seems the most generous one, in rewarding such finds, topffer! The second option seems to be for those, who might act too clever by the half. The last one, is surely funny. But here in India, the first one who can rob you, and get away with it, might be the police. So the third one works far better in such cases, than the other two.
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
23 Sep 15
@topffer It seems declaring the proceeds is the best, and most feasible idea in your country. More so, the person doing it, is rewarded pretty handsomely for the deed, without any strings attached. It surely is the an absurd thing to have the police in your hair for something like this. Since once the book is thrown at you, you just can't duck.
1 person likes this
@sofssu (23662)
22 Sep 15
Its against the law to keep such stuff .. an then people love to boast about their exploits and get caught because of their mouth.
1 person likes this
@sofssu (23662)
22 Sep 15
@gregario888 OMG that is not right at all. The government and history museums are being robbed everyday then.
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
@sofssu They surely are, no doubt of it. Most of the Indian laws and procedures are pretty archaic and cumbersome. so quite a few people, go roundabout it.
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
Here in India, it is very common to do the opposite of that. One or two people, whom I know, and who work for the ASI -The Archaeological Survey of India, and who assist in excavations as such, are on record that only one out of ten artifacts actually are reported. Most of such finds are under reported and nicked off.
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Sep 15
loose lips sink ships, so they say. i'm glad these folks were tended to, but wonder who benefited from this find? 're they now in a museum? did this 'found' treasure benefit the folks 'f the area in some way?
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
So wonderfully put,"Loose lips sink ships". No one benefited in that deal. The coins ended up among confiscated goods. They didn't make it to any museum. Nor could the local folks derive any benefit out of it, since the coins only had an antique value.
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
23 Sep 15
@crazyhorseladycx I even doubt of that, crazyhorseladycx! Since people in government are very corrupt and indifferent to such matters. They will let those coins rot in the treasury, till they become an unwanted burden. Then one day they might put up a tender for disposal, in which some one, on greasing a few palms, will get away with them. This is how things work here with the government.
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Sep 15
@gregario888 what a pity, my friend. i'm certain that the government'll get benefit from such a find :( dang 'em...
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
22 Sep 15
What do you mean all accounted for ? Did they recover where they spend those coins ?
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
22 Sep 15
@gregario888 The others might have wanted to punch the drunk who accidentally slipped his tongue about the find .
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
Word has it that they did, policemen know how to twist arms, when dealing with the "fences". And those fellows had earned money, in selling those coins off to the fence.
1 person likes this
• Aurangabad, India
22 Sep 15
@SIMPLYD That's one thing for sure! His slip of the tongue, surely gave them away. I also might have done the same, were I with that group.
1 person likes this