More treasure finds reported in West Yorkshire last year according to new figures

Under the Treasure Act of 1996, any potentially historically significant items or artefacts discovered in England and Wales must be reported to the relevant authorities for examination.

If experts consider it to be treasure, it can be claimed by a museum, with the finder receiving a share of any reward.

The Detectorists Institute and Foundation, which represents metal detectorists across the UK, called for more funding for the museums tasked with preserving and displaying historic treasure.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show there were two treasure finds declared to coroners in 2024 in West Yorkshire.

This was slightly more than the year before, when there was one.

Across England and Wales, the number of suspected treasure finds reached a new all-time high of 1,363, an increase of 144 discoveries on 2023.

Part of this increase is due to changes in the legal definition of treasure.

Two years ago, the Government changed the rules so objects of historical importance more than 200 years old will now fit the criteria of ‘treasure’, regardless of the type of metal they contain.

Previously the threshold was set at 300 years.

At the time, it said the changes would mean "more artefacts can be saved for the nation", and more new discoveries could go on public display.

The first item to benefit from the new rules was the Guthrum silver penny, the first silver coin found to have been minted by a Viking ruler in Britain, which was discovered in Norfolk and declared treasure in September.

But Keith Westcott, founder of the DIF, warned caring for historical items "places a significant financial burden on museums and local heritage bodies", while funding for conservation is "regrettably, in decline".

He said: "If we are to ensure that culturally important finds like the Guthrum penny are not only reported but meaningfully preserved and studied, urgent attention must be given to supporting the institutions that care for them.

"Detectorists are increasingly aware of their role in stewardship—a principle the DIF actively promotes through education and the development of professional standards—but this must be matched by national support for the heritage infrastructure that underpins responsible discovery."

The figures also show across England and Wales there were 500 inquests concluded into finds by coroners. Of these, 98 per cent (491) returned a conclusion of treasure, an increase from 96 per cent in 2023.