Ebay teams up with police to crack down on illegal treasure

A scheme to prevent antiquities being sold illegally via eBay was announced today.

Around 450 items of potential "treasure" were listed on the online auction site last year, the British Museum said.

It is illegal to trade archaeological finds deemed to be treasure without first reporting them under the Treasure Act.

The British Museum has joined forces with eBay to create a guide for trading in antiquities.

Listings for items suspected to be unreported items of treasure may be pulled from the site.

Details will then be passed to the art and antiquities unit of the Metropolitan Police for investigation.

Vendors selling antiquities online must make clear in their eBay listing that the items have been reported.

The British Museum's head of portable antiquities and treasure Dr Roger Bland said: "Our experience is that most people who buy and sell UK archaeological finds do so without being aware that they may be breaking the law if items have not been reported.

"We have therefore worked with eBay to ensure that its users are aware of its obligations through our guide."

Items spotted for sale on eBay during monitoring by the Portable Antiquities Scheme - which is managed by the British Museum - included gold and silver Roman rings and a medieval silver ring.

Detective Sergeant Vernon Rapley, head of the Met Police art and antiquities unit, said: "This is a really good example of the art market and those concerned in the preservation of antiquities working together to help prevent and detect cultural property crimes."

Treasure is defined as metallic objects with at least a 10% gold or silver content which is at least 300 years old when found.

Certain coins with lower gold or silver content may also count as treasure.

Treasure finds must be reported to either the local coroner or to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.