On June 6, 2024, the ACCG conducted a webinar on the United Kingdom’s Treasure Act and its Portable Antiquities Scheme, on how they protect the rights of ancient coin collectors, educators, historians, and dealers, while simultaneously protecting the country’s historical and cultural sites and artifacts. Understanding the UK’s successful approach to preserve its history while acknowledging the rights of land owners and coin hoard discoverers is a must for all those who are fascinated by times past. With the conclusion of the ACCG’s webinar, the ACCG's board has voted to make a $1,000 grant to the Oxfordshire Museum Service, to assist them in acquiring and displaying ancient coinage for its museum. We are now seeking donations to help cover this donation with any excess over this amount going to the ACCG general fund.
The ACCG’s June 6 webinar included presentations by Professor Michael Lewis of the British Museum and Head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme and Angie Bolton who is Curator of Archeology at the Oxfordshire Museum Service. Randy Myers, who is a Board Member of the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild, also spoke. Professor Lewis’s presentation provided valuable details of the UK’s Treasure Act and the Portable Antiquities Scheme and how it works in his country. Ms. Bolton discussed how her museum acquires and handles ancient coinage and other artifacts that it receives via the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Mr. Myers’ presentation compared relevant U.S. laws, discussed that other countries should adapt the UK approach before the United States needs to consider import restrictions, and concluded with a case study on a coin hoard uncovered in Somerset in 2013. The PowerPoint presentations of each of the three speakers is attached as pdfs.
(2) UK Treasure Act and PAS MLewis 6.6.2024.pdf
(2) OXON Museum AACCG Museum Presentation ABolton 6.6.2024.pdf
ACCG PowerPoint for 6.6.2024 RMyers 4.21.2024.pdf
A summary of the oral presentations of the ACCG's webinar can be found at the Cultural Property News website at https://culturalpropertynews.org/a-closer-look-at-the-portable-antiquities-scheme/.
