Museum services

The Portable Antiquities Scheme helps administer the Treasure Act alongside the Coroners Service. The Treasure Act replaced Treasure Trove in 1996 and since then many thousands of artefacts have been declared Treasure nationally.

Under the Treasure Act 1996, you must report the following as possible Treasure finds:

• Groups of coins (2 or more if made of precious metal, 10 or more if made of base metal)
• Single precious metal coins that have been altered
• Gold or silver items that are over 300 years old
• A group (at least 2) of prehistoric artefacts made of base metals
• Other types of finds which you believe to be very significant
• Anything found with treasure, including pottery

For further information, visit the Treasure Act page of the Portable Antiquities Scheme's website.

Clara de Sousa Cunha, Portable Antiquities Finds Liaison Officer for Herefordshire and Shropshire, is currently working through a backlog of finds recording, but will be available for new enquiries in due course. In time, they also hope to recruit volunteers and train self-recorders, so keep an eye on the Herefordshire page on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website, where these opportunities will be posted.

However, any Treasure items should still be reported to Clara at clara.desousacunha@shropshire.gov.uk or the West Midlands PAS team at PASTeam@birminghammuseums.org.uk

Treasure should be reported within 14 days of discovery. If you have reason to believe your find is possible Treasure, you should report it even if unsure. The Finds Liaison Officer will help you ascertain if it is.

The museums services offer an identification service for finds or other items of historical interest. Please contact the Museum Resource and Learning Centre on 01432 383383 or email herefordmuseums@herefordshire.gov.uk