Treasure Trove
Preserved but no longer current.
The term applied to coins and other valuables of gold or silver found in the ground or some other hiding-place, whose owner is unknown. In the legal sense these objects must have been originally placed there with the purpose of concealment; gold orna- ments, etc., found in tombs or tumuli where they were deliberately placed with no intention of concealment are not treasure trove.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Treasure Trove” mean?
The term applied to coins and other valuables of gold or silver found in the ground or some other hiding-place, whose owner is unknown. In the legal sense these objects must have been originally placed there with the purpose of concealment; gold orna- ments, etc., found in tombs or tumuli where they were deliberately placed with no intention of concealment are not treasure trove.
Is “Treasure Trove” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.