Who owns it?

If it is obviously not of archeological/historical importance, then use your common sense - breathe a word to anybody, including your significant other, and you are certain to become dead meat for the lawyers. If it's an issue of conscience, there are ways to wisely make things right without getting your butt in a crack.
 

Hardscrabble said:
If it is obviously not of archeological/historical importance, then use your common sense - breathe a word to anybody, including your significant other, and you are certain to become dead meat for the lawyers. If it's an issue of conscience, there are ways to wisely make things right without getting your butt in a crack.

Most archaeologists think everything is of archeological/historical importance, even a pull tab from a soda can.
 

zerojinx...

I'm not an archeologist, but I do recognize the importance of historical preservation. If I, a treasure hunter, am holding an object and think, "Gee, this is a historical treasure that should be shared with everyone", then I as in Me know for d_ _ _ _ sure it isn't a pull tab.

Except for native American artifacts, the odds of finding anything historically significant in the United States are pretty low. The vast majority of time, when there is a question, it becomes one of ethics - for example, you feel that it would be the right thing to share your find with someone else.

But, the bigger challenge is (as always), will they keep their mouth shut if you do? Will your generosity or sense of fairness come back to haunt you? Sticky wicket that.
 

zerojinx...

PS: However, your point is well taken - an archeologist would think a pull tab was an artifact. Another reason to keep your mouth shut about anything and let your conscience guide you.
 

Hardscrabble said:
zerojinx...

PS: However, your point is well taken - an archeologist would think a pull tab was an artifact. Another reason to keep your mouth shut about anything and let your conscience guide you.

Yes after the world Ends in 2012

& starts over & archeologists start over
that Can tab can tell them there was a Beer Party there.

Of course they will bury it in the bottom of
a box & Deny its Existance,
because it will prove we were here
before them :tongue3:
 

I just gota say this...."IF" I find something that has been in the ground for more than 1 minute, I will consider it finders keepers.... sorry, that means its mine,I found it,I'm the one who walked out in the woods and about got lost... ;D, I sweated,i had to buy to batteries,I'm not giving up anything,...NO never found anything!! :coffee2: :-X
 

Jody, for the most part we are in the same ball game. However, when I find something that has family significant (Class Rings/Military Medals/ETC) I try and have returned it. :thumbsup:
 

What find, I inherited all my millions from a great aunt " cash" yeh she gave me alot of it. Name her maiden name was burried lol I am sying nothing else. :icon_thumright:
 

GrayCloud said:
Jody, for the most part we are in the same ball game. However, when I find something that has family significant (Class Rings/Military Medals/ETC) I try and have returned it. :thumbsup:

I was able to do that just once. The item in question of was a gilded union officers button. During an interview with the property owner, I found out his GGGrandfather was an officer in a Ohio unit. He had nothing more than a photograph of the man. I gave him the button, explained what it was, he was very greatfull. It was kinda cool to put a face with the button, much less the service record of what battles that button and man saw.
 

If your on someone elses private land then legally they own it, unless they gave your permission to hunt their land.

On public land, "what treasure I didn't find any treasure, I never find anything of value, I only find poptops, bottlecaps and nails."
 

GrayCloud said:
Jody, for the most part we are in the same ball game. However, when I find something that has family significant (Class Rings/Military Medals/ETC) I try and have returned it. :thumbsup:
I agree %100 my friend!! I actually did just that, found an elderly couples wedding ring she lost in the garden, they knew where it was, but couldnt "see it" and icouldnt either until i heard the beep..took about 5 minutes..It was cool to uncover that 50 year old diamond ring!! but it was priceless the smile on her faceand his!!i was happier than she was i think.. :thumbsup:
 

zerojinx said:
Hardscrabble said:
If it is obviously not of archeological/historical importance, then use your common sense - breathe a word to anybody, including your significant other, and you are certain to become dead meat for the lawyers. If it's an issue of conscience, there are ways to wisely make things right without getting your butt in a crack.

Most archaeologists think everything is of archeological/historical importance, even a pull tab from a soda can.

Fact: soon the very first old style pulltabs from the mid-60's will be 50 years old and considered "historical artifacts!"
 

Way to go Jody, good for you my Friend. :thumbsup:
 

thrillathahunt said:
zerojinx said:
Hardscrabble said:
If it is obviously not of archeological/historical importance, then use your common sense - breathe a word to anybody, including your significant other, and you are certain to become dead meat for the lawyers. If it's an issue of conscience, there are ways to wisely make things right without getting your butt in a crack.

Most archaeologists think everything is of archeological/historical importance, even a pull tab from a soda can.

Fact: soon the very first old style pulltabs from the mid-60's will be 50 years old and considered "historical artifacts!"

Fact, it doen't matter how old the pull tab is, it is still trash with no context or historical meaning. You can not infer anything from it other than someone littered in the past 50 years. Wow someone drank a soda here or it was blown in by the wind.
 

zerojinx said:
thrillathahunt said:
zerojinx said:
Hardscrabble said:
If it is obviously not of archeological/historical importance, then use your common sense - breathe a word to anybody, including your significant other, and you are certain to become dead meat for the lawyers. If it's an issue of conscience, there are ways to wisely make things right without getting your butt in a crack.

Most archaeologists think everything is of archeological/historical importance, even a pull tab from a soda can.

Fact: soon the very first old style pulltabs from the mid-60's will be 50 years old and considered "historical artifacts!"

Fact, it doen't matter how old the pull tab is, it is still trash with no context or historical meaning. You can not infer anything from it other than someone littered in the past 50 years. Wow someone drank a soda here or it was blown in by the wind.

Very true, but an arrowhead or artifact that has washed down stream many miles from its original position when lost thousands of years ago, yet it is still illegal to be rescued from the water if it is on state or federal land. Current thinking is it is better the artifact be destroyed by the erosion of the water, then recovered by someone who truly appreciates the beauty and history of it just because he or she does not have a degree in archaeology....

Go figure..................
 

zerojinx said:
thrillathahunt said:
zerojinx said:
Hardscrabble said:
If it is obviously not of archeological/historical importance, then use your common sense - breathe a word to anybody, including your significant other, and you are certain to become dead meat for the lawyers. If it's an issue of conscience, there are ways to wisely make things right without getting your butt in a crack.

Most archaeologists think everything is of archeological/historical importance, even a pull tab from a soda can.

Fact: soon the very first old style pulltabs from the mid-60's will be 50 years old and considered "historical artifacts!"

Fact, it doen't matter how old the pull tab is, it is still trash with no context or historical meaning. You can not infer anything from it other than someone littered in the past 50 years. Wow someone drank a soda here or it was blown in by the wind.


What is the difference between that pull tab and a shipwreck? What is there to LEARN from the archeological survey of a shipwreck? That people sailed ships in the past? That they were made of wood and carried cannons and food and people and commercial items?

We already know all these things.
 

As the old legal saying goes,"POSSESION IS 9/10 OF THE LAW"
In other words if you have it in your possesion it is yours unless someone can prove it is there's.
 

Cache versus Shipwreck are two COMPLETELY different matters.

US Treasure Trove Laws have been upheld many times in the past that the order of succession of importance is:

1. ORIGINAL person (not family) who hid the cache

2. FINDER

3. CURRENT land owner

The current land owner knew nothing about the ttrove. Just like most land owners don't own the mineral rights to the land their homes sit on. That's right. If you find a vein of gold going across someone else's property, you can file a mineral claim on their land. Sucks for them, but that's the law. Check the private property laws in your state.

Best-Mike
 

That depends on whether that state is open to claim filing, and who owns the mineral rights. If I own the mineral rights to my private land, nobody can file a claim through my property.
 

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