Link: https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/vikings/biggest-surprise-of-my-life-homeowner-discovers-denmarks-largest-viking-age-silver-hoard-in-their-backyard

[...] the hoard dates to sometime in the 10th century.

There are also Islamic coins in the hoard, and together with the Anglo-Saxon coins, they offer evidence that Viking Age Denmark had strong connections with vast regions of Europe as well as with distant eastern regions,

Silver is currently at $68/ounce. Do they get that? Or is there a law that lets the state take it? Because, I'll be honest here, I don't give a fuck about the historical significance, life will go on just fine if no one ever studies these. So, if I found this in my backyard, I'd melt it down if I needed to, to get the money.

We need to study history so we can try to not repeat the bad parts. Life will not go on fine if we ignore what happened in the past.

I get ya. I have no idea but usually they do have some sort of compensation due to exactly what you are saying. Heck even sell them slowly to coin stores.

It's probably far more lucrative to rent it out to researchers and museums, or to sell it to collectors, if that's the route you'd insist on going.

I mean it's very well known that ottomans had viking guards (varangian guards) like the guy who Bluetooth is named after (harald haardrade) made his nut by sailing down and working in Istanbul anyone acting like this is opening some chapter of human activity that was unknown is wrong