Hi ryaner, here's the complete link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=509542&in_page_id=1770

As they are defined as treasure under the Treasure Act they do belong to the Crown but the Act allows payment of rewards (half to the landowner and half to the finder usually) - the museums have to raise the dosh and there's a Treasure Valuation Committee that decides how much (though the heroes can appeal, and frequently do, and invaribly moan they were robbed).

I'm with you I can't see why they need rewarding for complying with the law (i.e. reporting the find, not keeping it.) Surely they're all responsible and wouldn't break the law and try to sell Crown property on Ebay claiming it came from an old collection and therefore didn't need to be reported?

One pair got £750k reward last year. Detectorists are all moaning that PAS funding will be short by £50K next year. Doh!