The traditional definition of a treasure trove followed the old rule of finders keepers" for those lucky enough to discover it. The finder of this abandoned" or lost" property is often allowed to keep it. But in the case of mislaid" or embedded" property, possession usually goes to the owner of the premises where the treasure was found. The greatest difficulty, of course, is making the determination of whether the property was lost" or whether it was merely mislaid." Understandably, the legal battles over competing claims can be very intense.

Buried Treasure takes an intriguing look at the topic, explaining how the law has considered found or recovered property that was deemed lost, buried, mislaid, or abandoned. Making the topic more complicated, once the ownership decision has been made, there often follows the tricky questions of whether the find was taxable as ordinary income, who were the heirs of the deceased owner, whether there were international treaties involved, and what federal criminal statutes might have been violated.

Author Cecil Kuhne divides cases into three categories, depending upon where the treasure was found: in the ground, underneath the sea, and everywhere in between. The courts in each of these disputes wrestled with the onerous question of who should be entitled to possession. He examines a key case for each type of find, describing the case, the legal issues involved, and how the case was resolved. From finding buried gold or artifacts to recovering items from shipwrecks and more, you''ll be surprised to realize the complexity of issues involved and be intrigued by the many questions raised when a buried treasure is found.