Indian_Treasure_Trove_Act,_1878

Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878

Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878

Act of Imperial Legislative Council of India


Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878 (ACT NO. VI OF 1878.1) (12 February 1878) was an Act to amend the law relating to treasures found in India.[1][2] It defined treasure specifically as "anything of any value hidden in the soil" and worth as little as 10 rupees (usually around $0.15 or £0.10).[3]

Quick Facts Imperial Legislative Council, Enacted by ...

What the law details

The finder of any such treasure, according to this law, needs to inform the most senior local officer of the "nature and amount or approximate value of such treasure and the place where it was found". Also, if the finder fails to hand over the bounty to the government, the "share of such treasure ... shall vest in Her Majesty", the Queen of the United Kingdom.[4]

Law not user friendly for Treasure Hunters

Criticism as to the complexity and the subsequent irrelevance of the law in its current form has been voiced, particularly by the hobby metal detector enthusiasts and professional treasure hunters. Moreover, such criticism has been voices as practically all finds belong to the local Government.[5][6] However, reforms in the law are being sought.[7]

All major metal detecting, excavations and treasure hunts per se are carried out by India's nodal agency setup for the purpose, the Archaeological Survey of India.


Notes

  1. Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878 Archived 30 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine Archaeological Survey of India 13 February 2018
  2. Gupta, Vinay Kumar (July 2019). "Retrieval of Indian Antiquities: Issues and Challenges". Art, Antiquity & Law. 24 (2): 101–124. Retrieved 4 November 2023 via Academia.edu.


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