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October 21, 2008
The Things People dig up but don't sell illegally in the UK.
Here's a well-photographed example of a medieval seal - this one showing the murder of St. Thomas à Becket. The community where it was found by a metal detectorist, Richmond, North Yorkshire, is raising money to buy the seal and keep it on display. This little bit of the article shows the difference between looting of objects in America and Italy, say (something I blog about sometimes) and the UK, where cooperation with metal detectorists is the rule. There's a dispute about the division of a portion of the sale price:
[The seal matrix] was found by metal detecting enthusiast Carl Richardson, of Coxhoe, County Durham, in October 2006.An ownership dispute ensued, involving Mr Richardson, fellow treasure seeker Richard Hunter, from Peterlee, east Durham, and landowner John Wray, which will be resolved by the British Museum.
Those deemed to have a genuine interest in the item will share the proceeds of its sale.
See? The promise of a fair price gets people to turn things in! Respect for property rights of the land owner and the finder - though in dispute - are respected.
And really - it's a very nice seal - a priest holding a cross, Becket kneeling, the 3 soldiers hacking at his head with a sword. Underneath a man praying interrupts the seal-circling text - very elegant.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at October 21, 2008 11:46 AM