UNESCO

[Bruce R]

I was reading about the UNESCO treaty and it sounds like it means you can’t go diving for treasure any more or looking for Spanish shipwrecks and so forth, is this true ?

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

Nope. Can't hunt or keep anything you find. Even the clad you find in the parks *technically* belongs to the city . Since it's their property you found it in (hence technically belonging to the city). So too is anything you find on the beach *technically* belong to the entity who administers that stretch of coast . Eg.: County, city, federal, state, private, etc....

So just box up all your ill-gotten gain, and send it to me. I will make sure it gets to the right agency for proper dispositions. Any other questions ?

 

[agflit]

I was reading about the UNESCO treaty and it sounds like it means you can’t go diving for treasure any more or looking for Spanish shipwrecks and so forth, is this true ?

Bruce-

Short answer to your question is...yes you can.

I am actually a professional treasure hunter, am employed as such, live on a recovery vessel, and live it.

There are many caveots...and lots of laws ...and even more hoops to jump thru.

Federal laws, state laws, local laws, intl laws, treatise, conventions, and a multitude of other factors that need to be addressed for each specific situation.

Wanna look for treasure?...here's my best advice...

1- have very deep pockets and even better lawyers up front

2- stay in "intl" waters, avoid state waters like the plague, and have a REALLY good lawyer

3- research is 80% of treasure hunting...have REALLY REALLY good lawyers

4- Don't do it..unless your independantly wealthy, and have really REALLY REALLY good lawyers

5-

If you want to make a small fortune treasure hunting...start with a REALLY large one...and lots of REALLLLLLLY REALLY REALLLY REALLLLLLLLY GOOD LAWYERS

And yeah..I'm actually serious in my advice

ag

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I've never found any gold or silver coins. Thus I haven't needed lawyers for the silver and gold coins (above and below water) that I haven't found (aka "harvested", "taken", and/or "removed".). Lucky me

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Good thing I am not a member of the UN and not an employee of any government so it does not apply to me

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Good thing I am not a member of the UN and not an employee of any government so it does not apply to me

Doesn't apply to you ? Ok, try this out for size in Zebulon, NC : If you find a pristine condition 1901 s quarter in your city park there. And let's say it's worth $10k. Walk in to city hall, show it to the city lawyer. Tell them how it's worth $10k, and is an "antiquity" found @ "their" park, on "their" land. Ie.: a historical resource. Thus you are wondering "can I keep it for my own enjoyment and profit off of ebay ?". Or "Is this a city resource that belongs in city coffers and the city museum?".

Then sit back and relish in their answer. I'll bet you that they say "It's not yours to keep. It belongs to the city".

It would fall under laws that forbid "harvest", "collect", "take", "remove", etc....

I know this is silly, and I know that no one "rushes to give coins to city hall", but ... believe it or not, this has been the answer passed out to some people who show up at city halls asking for permission (as if it were needed) to detect in their city's parks. The bewildered desk clerk passes the question up and down the bureaucracy chain. Someone decides it falls afoul of rules such as that. And ... presto.... they pass down a "no". But as you can see, if this means "no", then ... we are sunk on ANY speck of public land. Because boiler plate stuff, such as that, exists on every speck of public land.

 

[XLV]

and i thought it was bad here in the jungle ....ussa good bye

 

[Holyground]

Maybe, when Americans no longer have Cheetos, Dr. Pepper and Football every Sunday, they will get of the couch and change it. Oh wait, that's not gonna happen. Food and Circuses are the government way of sedating them. I wonder when, like Rome, we will start feeding Christians to the lions. A bag of Cheetos, a cold Dr. Pepper and lions eating Christians. My, my, now that's entertainment!

 

[Madmox]

Maybe, when Americans no longer have Cheetos, Dr. Pepper and Football every Sunday, they will get of the couch and change it. Oh wait, that's not gonna happen. Food and Circuses are the government way of sedating them. I wonder when, like Rome, we will start feeding Christians to the lions. A bag of Cheetos, a cold Dr. Pepper and lions eating Christians. My, my, now that's entertainment!

Best post I've ever read. Hahaha[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[Bruce R]

Ok, well maybe I’ll cancel those diving lessons.