Other British subjects were offended such a lawsuit went forward in the first place.
“They took this woman to court over a coin! This is ridiculous! I’m all for preserving English heritage, but quite rightly this is her property. . .”
“I lost it”
When she got to the coroner’s office, she told him she had misplaced it. It was lost. The Ludlow Museum was willing to pay her £3,000 for letting go of the treasure, but there was no treasure to barter.
The little piece of European history did not fall into the hands of Ludlow Museum. It was officially missing.
Ms. Harding Received a Swell of Support from the British Public
Many people were outraged at authorities for handing this poor girls’ case so abruptly. It was a delicate situation and it was handled by earth movers. “Since when did museums become law enforcers?” some people complained.
“I too would ignore threatening letters from a bunch of ‘collectors,’” others declared. Ms. Harding appreciated the support.
Questioning the Law
“What happened to possession is nine-tenths of the law?” pointed out one commenter.
Someone else added, “That is crazy! She found it fair and square, why does she have to give it up?”
A Man Comes to Her Defense
One person named Alan from Coventry bravely offered a defense for Ms. Harding. He said, “I can’t understand how she could be found guilty.
If the find was in 1996, did it occur before or after the Treasure Act came into force?” We all know her find predated the law by many years.