Gold discovery in old piano triggers unusual treasure hunt

AN unusual treasure hunt is under way in Shropshire after the discovery of a gold hoard – in the back of an old piano.

An inquest has now been opened by county coroner John Ellery to determine whether the hoard qualifies as Treasure under the terms defined by the Treasure Act (1996).

The cache of items, described as “substantial”, is thought to have been deliberately hidden in the upright piano sometime in the last 110 years.

Inquiries so far have revealed that the piano was made by Broadwood & Sons of London and sold to a music establishment in Essex in 1906. The business which purchased the piano has been traced to a shop or wholesaler of music / musical instruments owned by Messrs. Beavan & Mothersole of 27, West Road, Saffron Walden.

The recent history of the piano has been traced to around 1983 where it was purchased by a local family in the Saffron Walden area.

The gold was discovered by the new owners of the piano who in a display of startling honesty, immediately reported the find to the authorities – a move which earned them the praise of the coroner.

The new owners are remaining anonymous but the discovery was made somewhere in south west Shropshire.

The cache of gold items, which are said to be highly unusual, was reported to Peter Reavill, Finds Liaison Officer for the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, based with Shropshire Museums.

The gold was taken to the Ludlow Museum Resource Centre before Christmas and inquiries into its origins are continuing.

The objects will qualify as ‘Treasure’ under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996) and thus be the property of the Crown, if the coroner finds that they have been hidden with the intent of future recovery.

However, if the original owner, or his or her heirs, are able to establish their title to the find, this will override the Crown’s claim. The coroner has therefore suspended the inquest to allow possible claimants to come forward.

Full information about the size, nature and value of the cache will be revealed at the subsequent inquest in March but is being deliberately withheld until then to firstly allow the coroner to make all necessary enquiries, and secondly not to influence bogus claims.

Under the Treasure Act 1996, finders have a legal obligation to report all finds of potential Treasure to the local coroner in the district in which the find was made. The success of the Act is only possible through the work of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which advises finders of their legal obligations, providing advice on the process and writing reports for coroners on Treasure finds.

The Act allows a national or local museum to acquire Treasure finds for public benefit. If this happens a reward is paid, which is (normally) shared equally between the finder and landowner.

Interested parties may wish to waive their right to a reward, enabling museums to acquire finds at reduced or no cost. Rewards are fixed at the full market value of the finds, determined by the Secretary of State upon the advice of an independent panel of experts, known as the Treasure Valuation Committee.

The administration of the Treasure process is undertaken at the British Museum. This work involves the preparation of Treasure cases for coroners’ inquests, providing the secretariat for the Treasure Valuation Committee, and handling disclaimed cases and the payment of rewards.

For a hoard less than 300 years old to be classed Treasure, it must be:
o    Substantially made of gold or silver
o    Deliberately concealed by the owner with a view to later recovery
o    The owner, or his or her present heirs or successors, must be unknown

The inquest will be resumed and concluded at Shrewsbury Coroner’s Court on March 16.

The coroner has appealed for anyone with any information about the original owners of the piano and/or of the potential treasure, its heirs or successors, to write to him at the Coroner’s Office for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin at the Shirehall, Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 6ND.

The coroner will require evidence about:
•    the nature of the find (i.e. what it comprises);
•    how, when, where and why the find was concealed
•    evidence upon which the court can be sure of the ownership by any potential claimant.

All other enquiries regarding the case are being made in the first instance to Peter Reavill, Finds Liaison Officer for Shropshire and Herefordshire, British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme. c/o Ludlow Museum Resource Centre, 7-9 Parkway, Ludlow Shropshire SY8 2PG Tel: 01743 254748 Email: peter.reavill@shrophire.gov.uk.

There is no penalty for mistaken claims made in good faith but any false claims may be reported to the police for consideration of any offences disclosed.

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