HL Deb 30 October 2002 vol 640 c36WA
Lord Fearn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

To whom treasure trove, found on beaches, belongs. [HL6110]

Baroness Blackstone:

Under both the common law of treasure trove and its successor, the Treasure Act 1996, finds of gold and silver antiquities made by members of the public and declared Treasure at inquest are the property of the Crown. This includes objects found on the foreshore (between mean high water and mean low water, including along tidal rivers).