Just a though about states that require you to turn in any items over $20 value

[Tom_in_CA]

Jeff of PA, I love it I'll carry little rolled up pieces of paper with just such wording. And anytime I find an item that goes over the threshold of whatever the city/county lost-&-found value laws are, I'll insert one of those into the ground I suppose that will satisfy the law, and be as good as turning it in to the police/sherrif depts? If not, I'll just say "Jeff of PA authorized it" 8)

 

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[soopacee]

simple.....if you find a ring in philly, you sell it in jersey

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Good thread......

Has me thinking:

Lets do a reality check on our forum member integrity.

We have a busy thread about how to ask for permission to hunt a property......and the majority opinion of the board is, and I paraphrase,

"Never ever hunt without permission. 5 miles deep in the woods?.....Research courthouse documents and FIND the owner and ask them!!!!!"

If that is the prevailing opinion (exaggerated in good fun), won't you KNOW who the owner is (residences not parks etc..)? It came from the property of the dude that said "Yeah...go ahead. Just don't mess up my grass."

Additionally, many of you have said that in your 'pitch' to get that permission....you offer or to split the find, or let them pick, or let them see your finds, etc.....

So, while you're hunting, you're putting a few wheaties, a few buffalo's etc in your goodie bag. Then you dig up a really old silver, or <gasp!> a gold coin. How likely is it that you'll toss THAT find in with the other common goodies?
I betcha those high value gems go in your pocket!

And if you share or let the owner ogle your goodies - they see only the clad, wheats, matchbox cars etc....!!!!



Me? I know me. If I find what APPEARS to be a sentimentally important ring/earring (engagement ring, wedding ring, diamond stud earring) on a residential property....I would be compelled to offer it to the homeowner.

Personally, I want to keep ALL coin finds.


-

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

And no matter WHAT I find in a public-like place (park, train station, whatever)....I keep!

 

[Idig4beer]

What ever I find from now on is only worth $19.95--AS SEEN ON TV. Idig

 

[packerbacker]

Google "Antiquities Laws and Regulations" or similar and check out all the laws and acts that cover public ground. I had also heard somewhere, or read, that anything over 50 years old was considered an "Antiquity" and should be left where found. I don't know about a 50-year-old gold coin?? Leave it there!??

 

[BIG61AL]

If i find it- it's mine!

 

[Seamuss]

There are literally millions of treasure hunters and prospectors around the country looking for valuable gold and other items.

They would have to have one big costly police state to prove that we found all of the gold coins in our possession.

How about my house or car. Did I find that also.

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Finders keepers. I vote with the monkeys.

 

[allen]

if they dont know you found it,
they cant make you turn it in !!

 

[Seamuss]

if they dont know you found it,
they cant make you turn it in !!

Don't vonuteer any information to the feds and they will never know how you got it.

If I found it and was not seen finding it, do I really have it. I'm not talking and if you have a gold coin,"I didn't see anything."

 

[Joe(TX)]

....................KARL VON MUELLER use to say.....one needs to be discreet.................do not advertise your discoveries..................no one is on site to frisk you to see what you really found!!.....Do not show any of your good finds to any strangers...................probably safe to show trash......but in our current state of economic woes......watch some of your TRASH be claimed!!.......LOL...........

 

[beaverdigger]

Google "Antiquities Laws and Regulations" or similar and check out all the laws and acts that cover public ground. I had also heard somewhere, or read, that anything over 50 years old was considered an "Antiquity" and should be left where found. I don't know about a 50-year-old gold coin?? Leave it there!??

I'm 58 years old. So leave me and my finds where you found me !!

 

[stanjam]

I generally agree with the finders keepers rule, with some exceptions. Items of significant historical interest should be turned in, and the finder should be compensated for the find. If the state is unwilling to compensate you for your find, then it isn't significant enough to turn in! Also, with rings/etc that you can return, I think you should. Hopefully your sense of ethics in this regard will be rewarded.

 

[airborne1092]

Such was the case of a recently circulated story in the pacific northwest, where a couple eyeballed a diamond ring in a grocery store parking lot. They took it to a jewelry store in this small town, to "see if it was real". The store ... after some rigamaro .... recognized it as a "be on the lookout" item they received word on (to see if it turned up in a pawn shop or jewelry store, etc....).

Yea, right - and that crackpipe in my pocket isn't mine, Officer - really! Someone must've put it there!

lol

 

[Seamuss]

My detector is worth more than twenty dollars. Does that mean we're suppose to turn our detectors in?

Don't kiss and tell then the government won't know the differents between you finding a gold coin or buying one.

To many loose lips will sink your ships.

 

[frostycold1]

Ok, I've been doing some research and planned on getting a detector soon. I found out Iowa state law expects you to run to the county recorder every time you find something of value. Below is an excerpt of Iowa code. Does anyone really do this? It said you could get fined $20 bucks. Sounds like a ridiculous law. Do a lot of states do this?

I don't need any legal problems. Of course what they don't know won't hurt them !! HA HA

556F.7 When owner unknown.

If the owner is unknown, the finder shall, within five days after finding the property, take the money, bank notes, and a description of any other property before the county auditor of the county where the property was found, and provide an affidavit describing the property, the time when and place where the property was found, and attesting that no alteration has been made in the appearance of the property since the finding. The county auditor shall enter a description of the property and the value thereof, as nearly as the auditor can determine it, in the auditor's lost property book, together with the affidavit of the finder.

Thanks and I will be reading a lot of info off this site.

 

[SpiderCoil]

OK, maybe the next time someone finds a gold ring, they ought to remove the stone, smash it with a hammer so that it is unrecognizable and sell it as scrap!

You all haven't been doing this? Unless you can sell on eBay or privately, pull the stones!
sell the gold at market value, or save it. But the stones are worth a heck of al lot. Gem shows will often buy them! Or make that significant other happy and design something special that includes the stones. My jeweler gives me credit for 3x the amount of the worth of gold if I use it torwards anything in his store (make a deal)!

And hey, my MD is only finds pulltabs and foil

 

[greydigger]

"anything over 50 years old was considered an "Antiquity" and should be left where found. "

I take umbrage to that statement as I do resemble it.

Grey

 

[michigan michael]

Awe come on everyone! I lost a a ring, Its gold and round. Please send me all the rings you found and I will return the ones that are not really mine. Thanks for everyones hard work recovering my rings..... I mean my ring!