Welcome to the Portable Antiquities Scheme website

The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a DCMS funded project to encourage the voluntary recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. Every year many thousands of objects are discovered, many of these by metal-detector users, but also by people whilst out walking, gardening or going about their daily work. Such discoveries offer an important source for understanding our past.

This website provides background information on the Portable Antiquities Scheme, news articles, events listings and access to our database of objects and images.

The Treasure Act

All finders of gold and silver objects, and groups of coins from the same findspot, which are over 300 years old, have a legal obligation to report such items under the Treasure Act 1996. Now prehistoric base-metal assemblages found after 1st January 2003 also qualify as Treasure. This website provides further information for finders of potential Treasure.

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Staffordshire Hoard papers

The Staffordshire Hoard symposium papers have been published for all to access and the old website has been archived on our site for reference. The hoard's records are being added slowly to the database.

Numismatic guides

Learn about each numismatic study area.

  • Iron Age
  • Roman
  • Byzantine
  • Greek & Roman Provincial
  • Early Medieval
  • Medieval
  • Post Medieval
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Latest news

  • Appeal for information on theft of Anglo-Saxon ... @ 1 week, 2 days ago
  • Mud Men – Series 2 @ 3 weeks, 2 days ago
  • Roman spintria from the banks of the Thames @ Friday 6th January 2012
  • Important Viking hoard highlights the continuin... @ Thursday 15th December 2011
  • Huge hoard of Bronze Age finds from Boughton Ma... @ Wednesday 7th December 2011
  • 486,411 records
  • 766,574 objects
  • 20,423 people involved
  • 4,166 accounts
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Latest tweets

  • On 02.01.12 @ 20:02:54, findsorguk said: If you're interested in archaeology, perhaps you could help out Lorna Richardson with her PhD research on Social... t.co/A6vbfCRJ
  • On 02.01.12 @ 10:02:07, findsorguk said: Hertfordshire Police are appealing for information on the theft of Anglo-Saxon coins from St Albans Museum:... t.co/7gpkVIn2
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Scheme blog

  • Finds Day at a New Heritage Centre, Newport Shropshire
  • Roman denarius of Julia Maesa reused as a finger ring bezel
  • The Shrewsbury Hoard From Discovery to Inquest
  • The Bredon Hill Hoard: The process from discovery to present
  • Recording your past, Enriching your future
  • Exhibition in East Sussex on the role of the Coroner
  • Jeremy Hall (1940–2011), Photographer and Friend

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