Treasure trove

Treasure trove, in law, coin, bullion, gold, or silver articles, found hidden in the earth, for which no owner can be discovered.

In most of feudal Europe, where the prince was looked on as the ultimate owner of all lands, his claim to the treasure trove became, according to the founder of international law, Hugo Grotius, a common and universal right. In England and similarly in Scotland, the right to treasure trove is in the crown, which may grant it as a franchise. Such articles are presumed to have once had an owner; and, in his absence, they belong not to the finder but to the crown. Their concealment is an indictable offense in England but not a crime in Scotland unless accompanied by intent to appropriate. In England the finder—and indeed anyone who acquires knowledge—should report the matter to the coroner, who must hold an inquest to find whether the discovery be treasure trove or not. In the United States the common law, following the English, would seem to give treasure trove to the public treasury, but in practice the finder has been allowed to keep it. In Louisiana half goes to the finder and half to the owner of the land. Modern French, German, Italian, and Spanish law is the same.

The counterpart of treasure trove under Roman law was thesaurus inventus. Its exact nature and the extent of its resemblance to the Anglo-American concept are in doubt, as the definition in the Code of Justinian has been discredited by some authorities and appears to conflict with the general Roman law of succession. A constitution of Hadrian apparently divided thesaurus inventus equally between the finder and the landowner.