Gold and Silver Prices

Sell Your Scrap Gold & Silver from Metal Detecting

Welcome to the Archi metal detecting scrap Gold & Silver page. If you've discovered scrap gold or silver during your metal detecting adventures in the UK, you're in the right place. We buy qualifying scrap metal from detectorists — but we also care deeply about protecting our heritage and ensuring all finders follow UK law and best practices.

We Buy Scrap Gold & Silver from Detectorists

If you've found scrap gold or silver items during your detecting trips that do not qualify as historically significant or legally protected, we are interested in talking to you about purchasing them. Whether it's broken jewellery, scrap pieces, or non-historic precious metal, we can discuss fair pricing based on current market values.

Please email us with the required information (see What to Include in Your Email below).

Our goal is to help keep precious metals in the circular economy, reducing waste, avoiding landfill, and ensuring valuable resources are responsibly recycled.

Important Legal & Ethical Information for Metal Detectorists

Before you offer to sell any find, it's crucial to understand the law in the United Kingdom regarding archaeological finds, treasure, and reporting obligations.

What is Treasure and Cultural / Historical Finds?

Under the UK Treasure Act 1996 and related guidance:

Items containing precious metals (gold or silver) that are at least 300 years old and meet specific criteria are legally defined as treasure and must be reported to the relevant authority gov.uk
For example:
Two or more coins from the same find that are over 300 years old.
Any non-coin object with at least 10% precious metal and over 300 years old.
Objects of archaeological importance or with cultural heritage.

If an item might qualify as treasure, you must report it to your local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) or coroner within 14 days of discovery. Failure to report treasure is a criminal offence gov.uk

Important: If an item is declared treasure, museums may acquire it for public benefit — and legal rules determine how any reward is shared gov.uk

What We Cannot Buy

We cannot buy:

Items that may be treasure or of archaeological/historical importance.
Objects that require reporting under the Treasure Act or other heritage legislation.
Finds that are subject to Crown ownership, coroner investigation, or museum claims.
Items still undergoing evaluation by a Portable Antiquities Scheme or heritage body.

These items must be reported to the right authority first before any transaction can be considered.

Responsible Reporting: Your Legal Obligations

If you think something you've found may be of historical significance or qualifies as treasure:

Do not sell it as scrap.
Contact your local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) from the Portable Antiquities Scheme or follow the reporting process on gov.uk
Report within 14 days of finding it gov.uk

Useful official resources:

Report treasure – GOV.UK (how and when to report) Report treasure guidance on gov.uk
Portable Antiquities Scheme – finds.org.uk for FLO contacts and voluntary find reporting.

Responsible reporting protects you legally and helps preserve UK history.

What Counts as Scrap Metal

We accept scrap gold and silver items that:

Are modern, non-historic, and show no indication of archaeological context.
Are common jewellery or pieces of precious metal that do not meet treasure criteria.
Are free from any claims by heritage authorities.

Items like modern rings, broken chains, and remeltable pieces with no historic value are typically acceptable.

Items NOT eligible include:

Pre-historic artefacts or coins over 300 years old.
Artefacts of cultural or archaeological interest wikipedia
Anything that local FLO or heritage bodies have asked you to report.

What to Include in Your Email

To ensure we can quickly assess your offer and avoid time-wasting emails, please include the following:

Subject Line

“Scrap Gold/Silver Offer – [Your Name]”

Email body

Your full name and contact details.
Clear photos of the items from multiple angles.
Description of each item (weight, condition, any markings).
Your asking price based on current market rates (if known).

Emails submitted without all required information will not be answered. This helps us process your enquiry efficiently.

Supporting the Circular Economy

By selling your scrap gold and silver through us:

You help ensure precious metals stay in circulation rather than being wasted.
Recycled metals reduce environmental impact compared to newly mined metals.
You contribute positively to a sustainable and responsible metal economy.

This is not just a metal purchase service — it's a way for detectorists to participate in green recycling and resource efficiency.

Your Legal, Ethical & Environmental Partner

We prioritise ethical practice, compliance with UK law, and environmental stewardship. If your find is eligible, we'll gladly discuss its purchase. If it's protected or historically important, we'll help point you to the proper authorities for reporting.

For questions or to send your email, contact: ARCH UK: Precious Metals Purchase Query

Please include all required details as described above. Emails missing information will go unanswered.