Throughout the trials and tribulation, the magistrate brought Ms. Harding, she believed she was in the right to keep her precious memento. She found it legally.
Treasure laws didn’t exist when she was nine and did not apply to a minor. And, for a person grieving such a horrendous loss, it is understandable that she would take a vigilante approach to maintaining what she felt was rightfully hers.
A Bold Assessment
His final opinion found, “As the magistrates’ appalling ignorance of the law has given her a criminal record, I think she should appeal before a real judge.”
The man shared some valid points.
Where Is the Piedfort?
According to Ms. Harding, the piedfort had been misplaced. She held onto it for 14 years, but something happened to it sometime during the unfortunate turn of luck after taking it to the museum for an appraisal.
As far as anyone knew, it was, in fact, lost.
What Would You Have Done?
Many people would have taken the £3,000 payment for the piedfort and avoided any legal hassles. But what if something was more valuable to you than a sum of $10,000?
It’s hard to say what we would do in that situation. But it seems a bit harsh that a museum could harass someone’s life like that.
The Good News
The authorities finally stopped pestering the young woman about the tiny artifact.
This mean that they would not be able to examine the coin to discover its origin. It would continue to be a mystery.