Focus on Metal Detecting: "Haul Sounds like Theft"

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Ambers Digs, the organized gang of artefact hunting "enthusiasts", seem to be doing well for publicity. Another journalist reports how they have found a "haul of coins dating back to the 13th Century" while searching land at Sutton Bank, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, on Good Friday.

Sue Jewitt, 57, who runs Amber’s Digs with her partner, Graham Duff, said it was the first time the group had found a haul, which is believed to be from a purse or a stash that was never collected. The couple, from Willington, County Durham, [...]  plan to show the farmer the coins before passing them on to the coroner [...]. We have found a lot before but this is the first time we have found a haul. “We have no idea how much it is worth. We were only saying that morning it was only a matter of time before someone found a big haul.”

 Over on the metal detecting forums they are none too happy. Shane says: "Wondering why are they milking the limelight .. they didn't even find the coins", and Cookie observes: "the word Haul instead of hoard makes it sound like its a theft". Yes, it does doesn't it? And "self-serving acquisitive artefact hunter" sounds much less benign than "amateur archaeologist", doesn't it? Life is so unfair. A haul of silver coins is what these artefact hunters found.

Now who is supposed to report their find to the coroner? Is it Mr Duff, or is it the finder ( you know, as in: "Any person who fails to comply with subsection (1) is guilty of an offence [...]")? How is it that Mr Duff has these finds 'somewhere' and the farmer has not seen them, i.e., has not seen what Mr Duff is taking off his land? Until any inquest, the coins are currently the landowner's property.