First topic message reminder :

l don't know how the laws and rules apply here when one finds something of value of treasure on your land.
lf l surveyed the area with a metal detector and found a valuble treause that can keep me in luxery for all of my life.Does that mean l can claim it as mine and sell it off to have it auctioned off abroad or keep it in bulgaria.
Or do l have to notify the government that l have found something of value where l will get not one penny.
What would be the benefits of finding something of value[is really what l am saying]

metal detectors have to be registered with the cultural minister, unauthorised digs are illegal, any finds belong to the state anyway.

ok, maybe daft question,if you find on your own land say a roman coin then what?

its not yours. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Have a look at this thread it will help you understand more

t/s joiner wrote:

Are metal detectors legal here? thanks

This question has already been answerd by starlite

Your probably wondering how you can trade with Bulgarian antiques? The answer is in the BG Cultural Heritage Act [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and it’s latest changes. The Act imposes special regime for treasure-hunting, trading, exporting (both sale and exhibitions) of Bulgarian cultural heritage artifacts.
Treasure-hunting for Bulgarian antiques

Treasure-hunting in Bulgaria is banned but you can see many people scavenging the areas round historic places. they carry metal detectors and other equipment and can be seen normally at dusk. If you are a treasure-hunter you need to know that if you are caught there are serious sanctions. However if you accidentally find some antique objects which could be of interest to the museum, you should mind that according to the Art. 90 of the Ownership Act:

Properties buried in the ground, walled in or hidden in another manner, the owner of which cannot be found, shall become the ownership of the state.

Therefore selling of such artifacts as your own is illegal. Art. 94 of the Cultural Heritage Act requires if a person finds such artifact to contact the nearest state or council museum and hand the found item to its director.
A commission of experts will be then appointed by the Museum to classify if the found object is a ‘cultural heritage’ or not. If it is classified as ‘cultural heritage’ the Ministry of Culture issues special identification documents to the antique item. If it is not classified as ‘cultural heritage’ the museum and the government will not be interested in it and you will be able to trade with it freely.
Before you apply for such classification procedure, you can roughly estimate if the antique falls under the definition of ‘cultural heritage’. Here is what the Act defines as ‘cultural heritage’ :

1. machine-minted coins and coin-like items that have no relevance for research and exhibition value, with the exception of especially rare and valuable specimens identified in accordance with this act as cultural values;

2. machine-produced items which do not bear a signature or mark of their authors or are produced in large quantities, do not have significant cultural, scientific or artistic value or are not linked to the historical figure or event;

3. works of art owned by Bulgarian or foreign authors, or those who are not older than 50 years;

4. antiques, artwork, limited which are not older than 100 years, with the exception of especially rare and valuable specimens identified in accordance with this act as cultural values;

5. residual material-waste substance, obtained from human activity, which has no functional or artistic purpose.

If you want to trade with antique items, described under the above 5 points – you can trade and export such antiques freely. The simplest test to see if you can trade with such antiques is to check their visible age and type.
However if you are collector and owner/trader of cultural heritage antiques, there are special rules for trading set in Chapter V of the Act.
Trading with Bulgarian antiques, classified as ‘cultural heritage’
If you want to trade with Bulgarian antiques classified as ‘cultural heritage’, you have to register yourself with the Ministry of Culture. You are also obliged to keep a register of all items you own and the details for any sale you make, including buyer details, date of sale etc.
You have to hold the antique items, classified as ‘cultural heritage’ in a separate premises and not mix them with other items you sell.
Along with the normal sale, you are allowed to attend and organise antique auctions. There are special requirements for these auctions, so you need to get familiar with them before you start organising one. The auction organiser has to have a license for antique auction trading, granted by the Ministry of Culture.
Export of antiques ‘cultural heritage’

If you are antique collector/trader and you want to export your antiques outside Bulgaria you need to obtain a certificate for export, issued by the Ministry of Culture. The rules for issuing such certificates are found in the Act and also in Council regulation № 116/2009 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... 007:en:PDF

Many countries deem artefact finds from the ground as state owned, maybe payable with a find figure payable to the finder. In most circumstances the treasure is not transferable or exportable to another country, which is fair enough, it was found in their country and they want to keep it!!

Which is why these finds end up in the hands of collecters..I had some workers of mine dig up 'something of value' last year..when declared, the local govt agency offered them 5 leva each for 'the find'.....after a little advertising, they are both about 25000leva richer. If you are doubting what I'm saying, have a search about the 'pond' which is next door to me and see how much they got away with.

bgbazz wrote:

Which is why these finds end up in the hands of collecters..I had some workers of mine dig up 'something of value' last year..when declared, the local govt agency offered them 5 leva each for 'the find'.....after a little advertising, they are both about 25000leva richer. If you are doubting what I'm saying, have a search about the 'pond' which is next door to me and see how much they got away with.

In Turkey it is illegal to use metal detectors and the government take a very dim view of anybody being caught with one. Turkish antiques are also forbidden to be taken out of the country, of course the Romans spent a lot of time in Turkey and here in BG, so effectively there should be lots to be found.

bgbazz wrote:

Which is why these finds end up in the hands of collecters..I had some workers of mine dig up 'something of value' last year..when declared, the local govt agency offered them 5 leva each for 'the find'.....after a little advertising, they are both about 25000leva richer. If you are doubting what I'm saying, have a search about the 'pond' which is next door to me and see how much they got away with.

In Turkey it is illegal to use metal detectors and the government take a very dim view of anybody being caught with one. Turkish antiques are also forbidden to be taken out of the country, of course the Romans spent a lot of time in Turkey and here in BG, so effectively there should be lots to be found.

i'd be more worried about the government giving arciologists permission to dig up ur house n land if it was me. It happened to a friend of mine in england. He dug up some really old objects in his tractor when ploughing n the next thing u know he's lost the use of three fields with no compensation, till they deem it nolonger of interest.

Typical government mentality they don't care about the issues this creates for the land owner.

Sometimes in these circumstances it may just be the time to say nothing and keep quite about it.

I have to say that I'm bringing over a metal detector amongst other things just as a bit of a pastime.
Feeling slightly criminal now lol.
Of course I will register and report all my finds to the appropriate authorities !!