Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Image Credit: British Museum as published in ZMEScience.com. |
The decoration was uncovered in 2024 by a metal detectorist scanning the dirt near Harlow, not far from London. It’s a high-status ornament that would have been used as a carriage fitting...
The owner wanted to signal that he’s living the good life, while also showing that Romans crushed the locals...
This specific find likely wouldn’t have been saved for the public if the British government hadn’t updated the Treasure Act. Previously, objects had to be made of precious metals (gold or silver) or be part of a hoard to be legally declared “treasure.” Under the 2023 amendment, other “significant” finds like this panther can now also fall under the government’s protection.
This means that instead of the figurine disappearing into a private collector’s drawer in New York or Tokyo, it was diverted to the British Museum. The find will be officially valued by an independent board. It will be valued, and the reward (often thousands of pounds) is typically split 50/50 between the person who found it and the owner of the land. It’s a system that encourages people to do the right thing and report their finds rather than selling them on the black market...
Rare Roman Panther Figurine with Its Paws on a Severed Head Is a Propaganda Tool Used in Britain
So the PAS has expanded to include more finds. Of course it expands. Never expect it to contract.
I wonder how fair the evaluation will be.
They presume that it would disappear if in private hands but not in the public trust. Too often things disappear from museums or are never displayed.
In the past I've done polls on the publics access to the materials that are held by museums for the public. One poll that I conducted found that only 5% of the respondents had ever seen any of the coins or artifacts held in the Florida Collection. The Florida Collection holds many coins and other items by the local salvage companies. That seems a very low number especially considering that the respondents were people that read this blog and are more interested in treasure than the general public. See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 10/12/13 Report - The Florida Collection of Treasure Coins and Artifacts and The Poll Results.
That seems to be a very ineffective use of public resources. If you want to actually see the items in the Florida Collection - good luck. Most people know little about it - not even where it is located. On the other hand, many respondents (over 75%) have visited the Fisher Museums and the McLarty. Those institutions provide better access to the public than the Florida Collection. If you want to see the coins salvaged on the Treasure Coast and taken by the state for the benefit of the public, I guess you can pay a hefty price to buy one of Allan Craig's books, which are not complete and are outdated. My opinion is that the publicly funded institutions that supposedly take control of those items to preserve them for the public are actually doing a pretty good job of keeping them private. Furthermore, I believe that publication of information about those items should be available to the public easily and inexpensively. Not only are they supposed to be held for the benefit of the public, but the public pays for them.
The McLarty Museum is part of Sebastian Inlet State Park and is one state museum that does a good job. Many of the readers of this blog have visited the McLarty. The admission fee is modest and the museum is assisted by volunteers, who you will find very helpful. The mueum is on the site of a1715 survivor's camp.
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I have a lot of cleaning to do. I started some electrolysis back in December that I never finished. I need to get back to that.
A cob I found in December I put aside and haven't seen it since. I'll have to do a search or try to figure out where I put it. I've spent more time looking for it since I brought it home than it took me to find on the beach.
I think I might have posted one photo of it.
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I've been burning a lot of my paper and cardboard recyclables in the fireplace rather than putting them out lately. Good cheap fuel for keeping warm on a cold day.
It will be warming up soon though.
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| Fort Pierce South Jetty (South Beach Zoom) Friday Afternoon. |
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| Surf Chart for Fort Pierce South Jetty Area from SurfGuru.com. |
The surf is a little rough but not real high.
We'll have some north winds around Saturday.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net
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My wife's mother recently passed away at 98 years of age. My mother passed just a few years ago, as did my wife's mother. One of those was 94 and the other 95. We've watched the process as their health and capabilities deteriorated and we've been responsible for settling too many estates. It is a tiring to be responsible for health care decisions and managing affairs. They were different people and they were in different situations. One passed at home. One was a nursing home for s short period, and the other went to assisted living, then had a hospital stay and then went to a nursing home. They all confronted similar difficulties and triials. They slowly lost control of their lives, became less capable and less independent, and all three came to the realization that the end of life was near before finally passing. In my opinoin they were cared for in a way that despite what you might expect, did not respect their humanity.
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