By Edmond Thorne
One glittering discovery off Florida’s coast could spark excitement, but taking it home could leave you facing criminal charges instead of striking it rich.
*This article was created, researched, and developed entirely without any use of AI.
By Senior Staff Writer, Edmond Thorne for OmniCom MultiMedia
Florida News Network: Tallahassee — Every year, thousands of people wade into Florida’s warm coastal water hunting for something shiny. Metal detectors buzz along the sand from Cocoa Beach to Key West. Divers slip beneath the waves near old shipwreck sites, dreaming of pulling up a piece of Spanish gold. It sounds like a jackpot waiting to happen.
Here’s the catch nobody tells you at the souvenir shop: most of what you find probably isn’t yours to keep. For the casual beachcomber who stumbles upon a silver coin or an old cannonball, a hard truth awaits. The legal principle of “finders keepers” does not apply in the Sunshine State. Under a complex web of state and federal laws, the state of Florida owns almost all historic artifacts found in its waters and on its shores.
Read the full article on Medium:
https://medium.com/@edmondthorne/no-finders-keepers-in-florida-why-you-cant-keep-treasure-you-find-off-the-coast-or-on-a-bus-5cfed9013421
