Gov refuses to confirm payment to Coin Hoard finders

Thursday 14 October 2021

The Government is refusing to confirm the amount that will be paid to the metal detectorists who found the 2,000-year-old Le Câtillon coin hoard - despite the Treasury Minister saying last week that around £3m was due to be paid imminently.

Richard Miles and Reg Mead found the clump of Celtic treasure, which includes gold torques, silver coins, gold and silver jewellery, in Grouville in 2012.

The hoard of 69,347 coins, which broke the Guinness World Record for ‘Largest collection of Iron Age coins discovered’ in 2020, had previously been valued by the UK Treasury and Valuation Committee at around £2.5m. It has subsequently been valued again by a specialist French firm. 

Earlier this year, the Assistant Minister with responsibility for culture, Deputy Kirsten Morel, said the Government was close to proposing a value that the hoard’s owner, the Crown, has said that it would be willing to accept. Once that sum is received, the Crown then makes a payment to the finders.

Giving an update in the Status Assembly last week, the Treasury Minister, Deputy Susie Pinel, said that £3,000,512 was due to be paid. Express understands that a higher sum was originally discussed.

Pictured: Metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles discovered the hoard of late Iron Age coins in Grouville in 2012.

She said it had been agreed with the Crown and that Ministers should have the payment agreed by the end of that week. 

She added £750,000 had already been paid for the restoration of the hoard. This payment followed an initial valuation and included a £250,000 payment to Jersey Heritage, who undertook the renovation.  

"This has been going on, in my opinion, for far too long with the people being denied their rightful payment for their findings,” she commented.

Despite repeated requests from Express, the Government has refused to confirm the amount announced by Deputy Pinel and whether it had now been agreed.

Pictured: Deputy Susie Pinel told the States Assembly £3,000,512 was due to be paid but the Government is refusing to confirm that amount.

It also declined to confirm how the figure had been reached, who was involved in the negotiation process, whether they had taken external advice, and who had the final say.

The only statement received by Express following those queries said: “The decision to purchase the Coin Hoard for the people of Jersey was made by the Council of Ministers and the funding is to be made available from the General Reserve.

"The formal process for the Government to make a payment to the Crown. [sic] The Receiver General at the Lieutenant-Governor’s office would then be responsible for making a payment to the finders.”

A new law giving better protection to 'hidden treasures' discovered in the island, and introducing greater levels of regulation for detectorists, is currently being drafted.

As Express reported earlier this week, proposals are due to be put forward for debate in the States Assembly early next year.