Protocol of Relics and Treasure finds

I hope someone can help me with this, We are going out to a site I believe may do well as the site of lost treasure(as well as gold).
It is also a very old ghost town that most have forgotten, so I believe I may find some relics there with any luck.
Anyway I have no issue handing over relics or artifacts if I find any (although if significant i would love to have my name put to a find lol - wishful thinking)
Asking in relation to not just VIC but also so I know incase I get to travel to SA or WA soon and came across things.

So wanted to ask just incase it is a dream trip, What is the protocol with relics and artifacts? Do I mark and notify? Do I take somewhere and log where I found it? if so where?and what if anything can i keep?

If I found say a jar of gold sovereigns, who does that belong to? Is it like jewellery or modern money find, take to police and if unclaimed it is mine? or is it the governments and too sad for me? or lucky me, finders keepers lol?

Thanks in advance

It was brought to my attention recently from Goldpick that in SA you can not fossic or metal detect on land listed as heritage ( some people probably still do ) here is the website which lists the spots in SA

http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/Heri...e=LOCATION&p_suburb=ALL&p_lga=ALL&p_class=ALL

other than that, as far as i am aware if i'm detecting on land that's not heritage or private property its finders keepers however i am still extremely new to the hobby so i wouldn't just take my word on it.

Weaman

This is what happen to workers who were digging fence post holes and kept the sovereigns that they found.

If you find buried treasure trove, that is gold or silver objects such as coins, you will mostly miss out on keeping the loot. No matter who finds treasure trove, or where its found, there is an automatic vesting of possession and ownership not in owner, tenant or finder but in the Crown (i.e. the government). After two tenants of rural land in Victoria turned up old gold sovereigns while digging post-holes, they sold some of the coins. Because the pair had found treasure trove which legally belonged to the Crown they were later actually charged with stealing the coins they had sold.

http://www.lawyersconveyancing.com.au/real-estate-news/finders-keepers/

All relics belong to the state.
Finders Keepers I don't think so unless you keep quiet about it.
db

so your saying, anything of value that is found, be it a ring or a coin, we have to hand it in by law because the government own it?

sounds a bit silly :/

bloody government ruin all the fun sometimes

Just read the article

please ignore above statement

but the government still ruin SOME of the fun

Very Interesting, funny thing is unless you told, how would they know with coins? guess its a case of be honest and be charged or lie and sell?
most people i know have a nice size coin collection anyway so would be interesting to find out how they would know.

Relics I am quite happy to pass on to government but what is the protocol for it, if anyone knows?

Relics are meant to left in situ as to remove them breaks the link continuity with the environment and the value is lost.
cheers db

Dragging this up as it has been on my mind a bit since reading the wording on the Earth Resources site.

https://earthresources.vic.gov.au/l...ational-fossicking/rules-and-responsibilities

Under General Obligations

"If you find any hidden valuables while fossicking, you must advise Victoria Police because such items belong to the Crown."

And as a refresher, the link deepblue posted above.

http://www.lawyersconveyancing.com.au/r s-keepers/

So, it seems if I find a stash of sovereigns in the field I have to hand it in. Or if you find some bushrangers hidden loot stash.

Lucky that last tin box I kicked over only had rusty nails it it. layful:

Does anyone have anymore have any more information, possibly links to the legislation or something like that. :Y:

that is the only law of prospecting i would break, if the CROWN wants to have them they can go find em their bloody self...... if i could track an owner of a find i would give it to them no worries but no way i'd give anything to the government oop:

Just because something is law doesnt make it morally right, you can dig and find all types of laws past and present that I wouldnt follow