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* In others, the treasure belongs to the property owner, in a bid to prevent amateur treasure hunters from trespassing and digging up someone else's property, elsewhere the government may make the finder of the treasure and the owner of the property it was found on split the find;
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* In others, the treasure belongs to the property owner, in a bid to prevent amateur treasure hunters treasure-hunters from trespassing and digging up someone else's property, elsewhere the government may make the finder of the treasure and the owner of the property it was found on split the find;
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* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'' episode "Turtleboy", Bingo finds a toy left behind at a playground and wants to take it home. Her father tells her that they'll leave it for a day and if its owner hasn't taken it back by then, then she can have it. This is what ends up happening, but he still feels uneasy about whether or not it's "the done thing". Ultimately, they decide to leave the toy behind permanently- not because they reach any moral certainty about it, but because they feel less anxious that way.
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* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'' episode "Turtleboy", Bingo finds a toy left behind at a playground and wants to take it home. Her father tells her that they'll leave it for a day and if its owner hasn't taken it back by then, then she can have it. This is what ends up happening, but he still feels uneasy about whether or not it's "the done thing". Ultimately, they decide to leave the toy behind permanently- permanently -- not because they reach any moral certainty about it, but because they feel less anxious that way.
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This situation occurs occasionally in RealLife, and is known as "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_trove Treasure Trove]]". Essentially, if you were to find in most nations a pirate treasure/buried hoard/vast treasure, or even just one ancient coin or artifact made of precious metals or of historic interest and value, you are legally obligated to report it to the authorities first for any number of reasons:
to:
This situation occurs occasionally in RealLife, and is known as a "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_trove Treasure Trove]]".treasure trove]]". Essentially, if you were to find in most nations a pirate treasure/buried hoard/vast treasure, or even just one ancient coin or artifact made of precious metals or of historic interest and value, you are legally obligated to report it to the authorities first for any number of reasons:
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* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'': Azelstan’s sidequest involves the Pirate’s Graveyard, which is said to conceal a trove of stolen gold. In actuality [[spoiler:there’s a single chest full of coins and valuable oddities; the hidden cavern is marked by the swords of many fallen pirates with the chest as the cornerstone of their “sacred ground”.]] The player’s Chaos Frame can be affected by whether they unilaterally refuse the treasure (raises it), hesitate before declining it (stays put), or ultimately choose to take it (lowers it).
to:
* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'': Azelstan’s Azelstan's sidequest involves the Pirate’s Pirate's Graveyard, which is said to conceal a trove of stolen gold. In actuality [[spoiler:there’s [[spoiler:there's a single chest full of coins and valuable oddities; the hidden cavern is marked by the swords of many fallen pirates with the chest as the cornerstone of their “sacred ground”."sacred ground".]] The player’s player's Chaos Frame can be affected by whether they unilaterally refuse the treasure (raises it), hesitate before declining it (stays put), or ultimately choose to take it (lowers it).
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* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'' episode “Turtleboy”, Bingo finds a toy left behind at a playground and wants to take it home. Her father tells her that they’ll leave it for a day and if its owner hasn’t taken it back by then, then she can have it. This is what ends up happening, but he still feels uneasy about whether or not it’s “the done thing”. Ultimately, they decide to leave the toy behind permanently- not because they reach any moral certainty about it, but because they feel less anxious that way.
to:
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'' episode “Turtleboy”, "Turtleboy", Bingo finds a toy left behind at a playground and wants to take it home. Her father tells her that they’ll they'll leave it for a day and if its owner hasn’t hasn't taken it back by then, then she can have it. This is what ends up happening, but he still feels uneasy about whether or not it’s “the it's "the done thing”.thing". Ultimately, they decide to leave the toy behind permanently- not because they reach any moral certainty about it, but because they feel less anxious that way.
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Updating link
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* PlayedForLaughs in a ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'' story, where a cowboy digs near a petrol station and finds petroleum already refined. The station clerk approaches him to beat him up.
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* ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': PlayedForLaughs in a ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'' one story, where a cowboy digs near a petrol station and finds petroleum already refined. The station clerk approaches him to beat him up.
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* It could be cursed to bring misfortune or disaster to whoever claims it
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* It could be cursed to bring misfortune or disaster to whoever claims itit.
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* It could be in some way important to the area its in, possibly providing some sort of magical blessing (especially if it's a single object rather than a hoard).
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* It could be in some way important to the area its it's in, possibly providing some sort of magical blessing (especially if it's a single object rather than a hoard).
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!!Examples
to:
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* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'': Azelstan’s sidequest involves the Pirate’s Graveyard, which is said to conceal a trove of stolen gold. In actuality [[spoiler:there’s a single chest full of coins and valuable oddities; the hidden cavern is marked by the swords of many fallen pirates with the chest as the cornerstone of their “sacred ground”.]] The player’s Chaos Frame can be affected by whether they unilaterally refuse the treasure (raises it), hesitate before declining it (stays put), or ultimately choose to take it (lowers it).
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Spelling/grammar fix(es)
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* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', various hobbits poke around Bag End, looking for the heaps of gold Bilbo brought back from their adventures in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', reasoning that "legendary gold (mysteriously obtained, if not positively ill-gotten) is, as every one knows, any one's for the finding -- unless the search is interrupted".
to:
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', various hobbits poke around Bag End, looking for the heaps of gold Bilbo brought back from their adventures in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', reasoning that "legendary gold (mysteriously obtained, if not positively ill-gotten) is, as every one everyone knows, any one's for the finding -- unless the search is interrupted".
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* Defied in ''Videogame/GenshinImpact'': part of the AdventureGuild's rules is that "finders keepers". Also in Fontaine, the country known for their strict laws, it's mentioned that as long as treasures bear no mark that show them as belonging to anyone, they're free to be taken.
to:
* Defied in ''Videogame/GenshinImpact'': part of the AdventureGuild's rules is that "finders keepers". Also in Fontaine, the country known for their its strict laws, it's mentioned that as long as treasures bear no mark that show shows them as belonging to anyone, they're free to be taken.
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* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage'': When Layton, Luke and Flora find the Baron's fortune, Flora doesn't want it because it will [[spoiler:deactivate the robotic inhabitants of St. Mystère]]. Since Flora rejected it, anyone who finds it afterwards wouldn't know about that fact, and even if they did, they might not care, since [[spoiler:they're [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman just robots]]]], although a more kind-hearted person might try to find a way to both claim the fortune and [[spoiler:keep the robots active]].
to:
* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage'': When Layton, Luke Luke, and Flora find the Baron's fortune, Flora doesn't want it because it will [[spoiler:deactivate the robotic inhabitants of St. Mystère]]. Since Flora rejected it, anyone who finds it afterwards wouldn't know about that fact, and even if they did, they might not care, since [[spoiler:they're [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman just robots]]]], although a more kind-hearted person might try to find a way to both claim the fortune and [[spoiler:keep the robots active]].
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* In the “WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}” episode “Turtleboy”, Bingo finds a toy left behind at a playground and wants to take it home. Her father tells her that they’ll leave it for a day and if its owner hasn’t taken it back by then, then she can have it. This is what ends up happening, but he still feels uneasy about whether or not it’s “the done thing”. Ultimately, they decide to leave the toy behind permanently- not because they reach any moral certainty about it, but because they feel less anxious that way.
[[/folder]]
[[/folder]]
to:
* In the “WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}” ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'' episode “Turtleboy”, Bingo finds a toy left behind at a playground and wants to take it home. Her father tells her that they’ll leave it for a day and if its owner hasn’t taken it back by then, then she can have it. This is what ends up happening, but he still feels uneasy about whether or not it’s “the done thing”. Ultimately, they decide to leave the toy behind permanently- not because they reach any moral certainty about it, but because they feel less anxious that way.
[[/folder]][[/folder]]
----
----
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* In the “WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}” episode “Turtleboy”, Bingo finds a toy left behind at a playground and wants to take it home. Her father tells her that they’ll leave it for a day and if its owner hasn’t taken it back by then, then she can have it. This is what ends up happening, but he still feels uneasy about whether or not it’s “the done thing”. Ultimately, they decide to leave the toy behind permanently- not because they reach any moral certainty about it, but because they feel less anxious that way.
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* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders is absolutely loaded with treasure of all kinds which serves as one of the [[GeniusLoci sentient cavern's]] two [[SecretTestOfCharacter Secret Tests of Character]]--the first is that only a "Diamond in the Rough" can enter the cave, while the second states that the entrant must "touch nothing but the lamp." Though Aladdin is able to resist the temptation of the mountains of gold and jewels piled up inside, [[NonHumanSidekick Abu]] can't help himself and tries to take a gem from a statue. This immediately causes the Cave of Wonders to start collapsing and all of the treasure to vanish; it's unclear whether or not Aladdin would have been able to keep it had he passed the cavern's test (and even if not, presumably the genie of the lamp would be able to provide even greater riches than the entire cave, but since the genie's masters are limited to ThreeWishes, being able to take the treasure might have saved him one wish).
to:
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders is absolutely loaded with treasure of all kinds which serves as one of the [[GeniusLoci sentient cavern's]] two [[SecretTestOfCharacter Secret Tests of Character]]--the first is that only a "Diamond in the Rough" can enter the cave, while the second states that the entrant must "touch nothing but the lamp." Though Aladdin is able to resist the temptation of the mountains of gold and jewels piled up inside, [[NonHumanSidekick Abu]] can't help himself and tries to take a gem from a statue. This immediately causes the Cave of Wonders to start collapsing and all of the treasure to vanish; it's unclear whether or not Aladdin would have been able to keep it had he passed the cavern's test (and even if not, presumably the genie of the lamp would be able to provide even greater riches than the entire cave, but since the genie's masters are limited to ThreeWishes, being able to take the treasure might have saved him one wish). It's possible (given the way it vanished) that it was merely an illusion to begin with.
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[[folder:Films - Animation]]
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[[folder:Films - -- Animation]]
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[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
* In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', though the Ark is found in Egyptian ruins, it's not an Egyptian artifact - it's a Hebrew artifact that the ancient Egyptians stole. And as there was no nation of Israel in the 1930's, there's no country that can claim rightful ownership of it, removing any moral issues with our American heroes trying to grab it first.
* In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', though the Ark is found in Egyptian ruins, it's not an Egyptian artifact - it's a Hebrew artifact that the ancient Egyptians stole. And as there was no nation of Israel in the 1930's, there's no country that can claim rightful ownership of it, removing any moral issues with our American heroes trying to grab it first.
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[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
-- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', though the Ark is found in Egyptian ruins, it's not an Egyptian artifact- -- it's a Hebrew artifact that the ancient Egyptians stole. And as there was no nation of Israel in the 1930's, 1930s, there's no country that can claim rightful ownership of it, removing any moral issues with our American heroes trying to grab it first.
* In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', though the Ark is found in Egyptian ruins, it's not an Egyptian artifact
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* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', various hobbits poke around Bag End, looking for the heaps of gold Bilbo brought back from their adventures in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', reasoning that "legendary gold (mysteriously obtained, if not positively ill-gotten) is, as every one knows, any one's for the finding - unless the search is interrupted".
to:
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', various hobbits poke around Bag End, looking for the heaps of gold Bilbo brought back from their adventures in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', reasoning that "legendary gold (mysteriously obtained, if not positively ill-gotten) is, as every one knows, any one's for the finding - -- unless the search is interrupted".
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* In the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'' special episode "Here Comes Team Charm", the titular Team Charm is a treasure-hunting exploration team, who are looking for a treasure in Boulder Quarry. Once they discover that said treasure is [[spoiler: a Time Gear, which is responsible for regulating the flow of time in the area]], they refuse to take it on principle due to its importance.
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* In the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'' special episode "Here Comes Team Charm", the titular Team Charm is a treasure-hunting exploration team, who are looking for a treasure in Boulder Quarry. Once they discover that said treasure is [[spoiler: a [[spoiler:a Time Gear, which is responsible for regulating the flow of time in the area]], they refuse to take it on principle due to its importance.
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* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders is absolutely loaded with treasure of all kinds which serves as one of the [[GeniusLoci sentient cavern's]] two [[SecretTestOfCharacter Secret Tests of Character]]--the first is that only a "Diamond in the Rough" can enter the cave, while the second states that the entrant must "touch nothing but the lamp." Though Aladdin is able to resist the temptation of the mountains of gold and jewels piled up inside, [[NonHumanSidekick Abu]] can't help himself and tries to take a gem from a statue. This immediately causes the Cave of Wonders to start collapsing and all of the treasure to vanish; it's unclear whether or not Aladdin would have been able to keep it had he passed the cavern's test (and even if not, presumably the genie of the lamp would be able to provide even greater riches than the entire cave).
to:
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders is absolutely loaded with treasure of all kinds which serves as one of the [[GeniusLoci sentient cavern's]] two [[SecretTestOfCharacter Secret Tests of Character]]--the first is that only a "Diamond in the Rough" can enter the cave, while the second states that the entrant must "touch nothing but the lamp." Though Aladdin is able to resist the temptation of the mountains of gold and jewels piled up inside, [[NonHumanSidekick Abu]] can't help himself and tries to take a gem from a statue. This immediately causes the Cave of Wonders to start collapsing and all of the treasure to vanish; it's unclear whether or not Aladdin would have been able to keep it had he passed the cavern's test (and even if not, presumably the genie of the lamp would be able to provide even greater riches than the entire cave).cave, but since the genie's masters are limited to ThreeWishes, being able to take the treasure might have saved him one wish).
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* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', various hobbits poke around Bag End, looking for the heaps of gold Bilbo brought back from their adventures in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', reasoning that "legendary gold (mysteriously obtained, if not positively ill-gotten) is, as every one knows, any one's for the finding - unless the search is interrupted".
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[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
* In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', though the Ark is found in Egyptian ruins, it's not an Egyptian artifact - it's a Hebrew artifact that the ancient Egyptians stole. And as there was no nation of Israel in the 1930's, there's no country that can claim rightful ownership of it, removing any moral issues with our American heroes trying to grab it first.
[[/folder]]
* In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', though the Ark is found in Egyptian ruins, it's not an Egyptian artifact - it's a Hebrew artifact that the ancient Egyptians stole. And as there was no nation of Israel in the 1930's, there's no country that can claim rightful ownership of it, removing any moral issues with our American heroes trying to grab it first.
[[/folder]]
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* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders has its entire treasure save for the Lamp as this as a SecretTestOfCharacter to prove one was a “Diamond in the Rough". Aladdin is able to ignore the treasure and get the lamp, but Abu's attempt to just take one piece of the treasure causes the Cave to collapse back into the sand. One could assume the "Diamond in the Rough" would use the treasure for good ends.
to:
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders has its entire is absolutely loaded with treasure save for the Lamp of all kinds which serves as this as a SecretTestOfCharacter to prove one was a “Diamond in the Rough". Aladdin is able to ignore the treasure and get the lamp, but Abu's attempt to just take one piece of the treasure causes the Cave to collapse back into the sand. One could assume the [[GeniusLoci sentient cavern's]] two [[SecretTestOfCharacter Secret Tests of Character]]--the first is that only a "Diamond in the Rough" would use can enter the cave, while the second states that the entrant must "touch nothing but the lamp." Though Aladdin is able to resist the temptation of the mountains of gold and jewels piled up inside, [[NonHumanSidekick Abu]] can't help himself and tries to take a gem from a statue. This immediately causes the Cave of Wonders to start collapsing and all of the treasure for good ends.to vanish; it's unclear whether or not Aladdin would have been able to keep it had he passed the cavern's test (and even if not, presumably the genie of the lamp would be able to provide even greater riches than the entire cave).
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Unmarked spoilers for The Reveal.
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----
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* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage'': When Layton, Luke and Flora find the Baron's fortune, Flora doesn't want it because it will deactivate the robotic inhabitants of St. Mystère. Since Flora rejected it, anyone who finds it afterwards wouldn't know about that fact, and even if they did, they might not care, specially since [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman they're just robots]], although a more kind-hearted person might try to find a way to both claim the fortune and keep the robots active.
to:
* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage'': When Layton, Luke and Flora find the Baron's fortune, Flora doesn't want it because it will deactivate [[spoiler:deactivate the robotic inhabitants of St. Mystère. Mystère]]. Since Flora rejected it, anyone who finds it afterwards wouldn't know about that fact, and even if they did, they might not care, specially since [[spoiler:they're [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman they're just robots]], robots]]]], although a more kind-hearted person might try to find a way to both claim the fortune and keep [[spoiler:keep the robots active.active]].
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* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'': When searching the ruins, the Force [[DoubleStandard see the thieves as the bad ones]] for wanting to take an ownerless treasure just like them.
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* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'': When searching the ruins, the Force [[DoubleStandard see the thieves as the bad ones]] for wanting to take an ownerless treasure [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality just like them.them]].
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[[/folder]]
'''Indices'''
* MoralityTropes
* TreasureTropes
* ExcuseOfAnIndex
'''Indices'''
* MoralityTropes
* TreasureTropes
* ExcuseOfAnIndex
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'''Indices'''
* MoralityTropes
* TreasureTropes
* ExcuseOfAnIndex
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To be launched: Feb 27th 2024 at 4:52 PM (Timezone [=Europe/Madrid=])
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Created from YKTTW
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To be launched: Feb 27th 2024 at 4:52 PM (Timezone [=Europe/Madrid=])
There's an item, usually a treasure, which has no owner that people know of and therefore, as the old saying states, finders keepers. If the treasure is in plain sight, one might wonder why no one has claimed it yet.
There are a number of reasons why a character might be opposed to taking the treasure:
* It could be cursed to bring misfortune or disaster to whoever claims it
* It could be in some way important to the area its in, possibly providing some sort of magical blessing (especially if it's a single object rather than a hoard).
* It could be too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands.
* It could be viewed as blood money tainted by the way it was acquired by its former owners. (Though this may be remedied by giving it away instead of taking it for yourself).
* The treasure could be a SecretTestOfCharacter designed to weed out the greedy.
* It could be worth more as [[ItBelongsInAMuseum a source of archaeological knowledge]] than a simple collection of trinkets to be sold off.
* It could be viewed as belonging to the people of the country it was found in, even after its original owners were long gone. (Most common in real life).
* Or it could simply be a matter of [[DueToTheDead respect for the dead]], with [[RobbingTheDead taking their belongings]] considered taboo even after their death.
This situation occurs occasionally in RealLife, and is known as "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_trove Treasure Trove]]". Essentially, if you were to find in most nations a pirate treasure/buried hoard/vast treasure, or even just one ancient coin or artifact made of precious metals or of historic interest and value, you are legally obligated to report it to the authorities first for any number of reasons:
* They would need to determine that the find really is so old as to have no reasonable owner, as opposed to some ancient coins that were in a collection that had been recently stolen and buried;
* In some places, the treasure belongs to the crown or government if it is declared ''bona vacanta'', and so it is their property (in these cases, the government may or may not pay a generous "finder's fee" to the person who uncovered the treasure);
* In others, the treasure belongs to the property owner, in a bid to prevent amateur treasure hunters from trespassing and digging up someone else's property, elsewhere the government may make the finder of the treasure and the owner of the property it was found on split the find;
* The government may also take historical interest in ancient heritage and would take steps to make sure that [[ItBelongsInAMuseum artifacts are not taken out of the country and instead are preserved for the nation as a whole]];
* At least in parts of the US, police officers and other public officials are not allowed in general to lay claim to treasure trove to prevent conflicts of interest;
* And, of course, when all else fails, the [[TaxmanTakesTheWinnings authorities want their cut of the taxes on the value of the gold, silver, jewels, or whatnot]].
Compare MoneyToBurn, which is when the money or treasure is actually destroyed, ItBelongsInAMuseum, when the treasure is taken to be kept in a museum (although it may overlap if the character who wants the treasure doesn't know its location IS the museum) and SchmuckBait or CursedItem if the treasure is a deliberate trap for the greedy. Contrast InexplicableTreasureChests and KleptomaniacHero, game tropes where "Finders Keepers" applies in earnest.
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/ElCacoBonifacio'': In one of the stories, people talk about a millionaire so tight-fisted he buried all his fortune under a statue. The story is about the titular thief trying to get said fortune.
* PlayedForLaughs in a ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'' story, where a cowboy digs near a petrol station and finds petroleum already refined. The station clerk approaches him to beat him up.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders has its entire treasure save for the Lamp as this as a SecretTestOfCharacter to prove one was a “Diamond in the Rough". Aladdin is able to ignore the treasure and get the lamp, but Abu's attempt to just take one piece of the treasure causes the Cave to collapse back into the sand. One could assume the "Diamond in the Rough" would use the treasure for good ends.
* ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'': Captain Flint rigged the planet to explode if anyone takes his treasure, even after his death. Becomes MoneyToBurn after the protagonists take the treasure.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* One of Creator/JeanDeLaFontaine's [[https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/50316/pg50316-images.html#Page_180 fables]] has a miser bury gold somewhere, but he keeps going back to dig it up and check on it. Eventually this attracts the attention of a thief who digs it up in the miser's absence. When the miser comes back and panics at the theft, it's pointed out to him that he gets the same amount of profit from the gold now as he did before instead of investing it or spending it, he hasn't really lost anything.
-->Why, then, be so wretched? for if you say true,
-->You never touched it, plain the case;
-->Put back that stone upon the place,
-->'Twill be the very same to you.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEchoesShadowsOfValentia'': Alm and his friends at one point defeat a band of pirates and find their hideout contains a great deal of gold and treasure, but only take the pirates' weapons with them, since they view the gold as dirty money.
* Defied in ''Videogame/GenshinImpact'': part of the AdventureGuild's rules is that "finders keepers". Also in Fontaine, the country known for their strict laws, it's mentioned that as long as treasures bear no mark that show them as belonging to anyone, they're free to be taken.
* In the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'' special episode "Here Comes Team Charm", the titular Team Charm is a treasure-hunting exploration team, who are looking for a treasure in Boulder Quarry. Once they discover that said treasure is [[spoiler: a Time Gear, which is responsible for regulating the flow of time in the area]], they refuse to take it on principle due to its importance.
* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage'': When Layton, Luke and Flora find the Baron's fortune, Flora doesn't want it because it will deactivate the robotic inhabitants of St. Mystère. Since Flora rejected it, anyone who finds it afterwards wouldn't know about that fact, and even if they did, they might not care, specially since [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman they're just robots]], although a more kind-hearted person might try to find a way to both claim the fortune and keep the robots active.
* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceII'': Slade takes the Jewels of Light and Evil. There was no way for anyone to know they [[SealedEvilInACan kept Zeon sealed]].
* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'': When searching the ruins, the Force [[DoubleStandard see the thieves as the bad ones]] for wanting to take an ownerless treasure just like them.
* ''VideoGame/SmallTownMurders'': Robert Van Santen was the evil guy not for wanting Barnaby Jarrow's treasure, but for murdering two people and trying to demolish someone else's house. Until the end of case 20, no one knew [[spoiler:Salty Pete, being Barnaby Jarrow's descendant, was the legitimate owner of the treasure]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfPussInBoots'': No one can blame Puss for taking a single coin from San Lorenzo's treasures since Dulcinea didn't tell him before it would break the city's magic barrier. The thieves in the series have also done immoral acts, but trying to take the same treasure without knowing its function in the village isn't one of them (not that it would stop them anyway).
[[/folder]]
'''Indices'''
* MoralityTropes
* TreasureTropes
* ExcuseOfAnIndex
There's an item, usually a treasure, which has no owner that people know of and therefore, as the old saying states, finders keepers. If the treasure is in plain sight, one might wonder why no one has claimed it yet.
There are a number of reasons why a character might be opposed to taking the treasure:
* It could be cursed to bring misfortune or disaster to whoever claims it
* It could be in some way important to the area its in, possibly providing some sort of magical blessing (especially if it's a single object rather than a hoard).
* It could be too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands.
* It could be viewed as blood money tainted by the way it was acquired by its former owners. (Though this may be remedied by giving it away instead of taking it for yourself).
* The treasure could be a SecretTestOfCharacter designed to weed out the greedy.
* It could be worth more as [[ItBelongsInAMuseum a source of archaeological knowledge]] than a simple collection of trinkets to be sold off.
* It could be viewed as belonging to the people of the country it was found in, even after its original owners were long gone. (Most common in real life).
* Or it could simply be a matter of [[DueToTheDead respect for the dead]], with [[RobbingTheDead taking their belongings]] considered taboo even after their death.
This situation occurs occasionally in RealLife, and is known as "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_trove Treasure Trove]]". Essentially, if you were to find in most nations a pirate treasure/buried hoard/vast treasure, or even just one ancient coin or artifact made of precious metals or of historic interest and value, you are legally obligated to report it to the authorities first for any number of reasons:
* They would need to determine that the find really is so old as to have no reasonable owner, as opposed to some ancient coins that were in a collection that had been recently stolen and buried;
* In some places, the treasure belongs to the crown or government if it is declared ''bona vacanta'', and so it is their property (in these cases, the government may or may not pay a generous "finder's fee" to the person who uncovered the treasure);
* In others, the treasure belongs to the property owner, in a bid to prevent amateur treasure hunters from trespassing and digging up someone else's property, elsewhere the government may make the finder of the treasure and the owner of the property it was found on split the find;
* The government may also take historical interest in ancient heritage and would take steps to make sure that [[ItBelongsInAMuseum artifacts are not taken out of the country and instead are preserved for the nation as a whole]];
* At least in parts of the US, police officers and other public officials are not allowed in general to lay claim to treasure trove to prevent conflicts of interest;
* And, of course, when all else fails, the [[TaxmanTakesTheWinnings authorities want their cut of the taxes on the value of the gold, silver, jewels, or whatnot]].
Compare MoneyToBurn, which is when the money or treasure is actually destroyed, ItBelongsInAMuseum, when the treasure is taken to be kept in a museum (although it may overlap if the character who wants the treasure doesn't know its location IS the museum) and SchmuckBait or CursedItem if the treasure is a deliberate trap for the greedy. Contrast InexplicableTreasureChests and KleptomaniacHero, game tropes where "Finders Keepers" applies in earnest.
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/ElCacoBonifacio'': In one of the stories, people talk about a millionaire so tight-fisted he buried all his fortune under a statue. The story is about the titular thief trying to get said fortune.
* PlayedForLaughs in a ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'' story, where a cowboy digs near a petrol station and finds petroleum already refined. The station clerk approaches him to beat him up.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Cave of Wonders has its entire treasure save for the Lamp as this as a SecretTestOfCharacter to prove one was a “Diamond in the Rough". Aladdin is able to ignore the treasure and get the lamp, but Abu's attempt to just take one piece of the treasure causes the Cave to collapse back into the sand. One could assume the "Diamond in the Rough" would use the treasure for good ends.
* ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'': Captain Flint rigged the planet to explode if anyone takes his treasure, even after his death. Becomes MoneyToBurn after the protagonists take the treasure.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* One of Creator/JeanDeLaFontaine's [[https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/50316/pg50316-images.html#Page_180 fables]] has a miser bury gold somewhere, but he keeps going back to dig it up and check on it. Eventually this attracts the attention of a thief who digs it up in the miser's absence. When the miser comes back and panics at the theft, it's pointed out to him that he gets the same amount of profit from the gold now as he did before instead of investing it or spending it, he hasn't really lost anything.
-->Why, then, be so wretched? for if you say true,
-->You never touched it, plain the case;
-->Put back that stone upon the place,
-->'Twill be the very same to you.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEchoesShadowsOfValentia'': Alm and his friends at one point defeat a band of pirates and find their hideout contains a great deal of gold and treasure, but only take the pirates' weapons with them, since they view the gold as dirty money.
* Defied in ''Videogame/GenshinImpact'': part of the AdventureGuild's rules is that "finders keepers". Also in Fontaine, the country known for their strict laws, it's mentioned that as long as treasures bear no mark that show them as belonging to anyone, they're free to be taken.
* In the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'' special episode "Here Comes Team Charm", the titular Team Charm is a treasure-hunting exploration team, who are looking for a treasure in Boulder Quarry. Once they discover that said treasure is [[spoiler: a Time Gear, which is responsible for regulating the flow of time in the area]], they refuse to take it on principle due to its importance.
* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage'': When Layton, Luke and Flora find the Baron's fortune, Flora doesn't want it because it will deactivate the robotic inhabitants of St. Mystère. Since Flora rejected it, anyone who finds it afterwards wouldn't know about that fact, and even if they did, they might not care, specially since [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman they're just robots]], although a more kind-hearted person might try to find a way to both claim the fortune and keep the robots active.
* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceII'': Slade takes the Jewels of Light and Evil. There was no way for anyone to know they [[SealedEvilInACan kept Zeon sealed]].
* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'': When searching the ruins, the Force [[DoubleStandard see the thieves as the bad ones]] for wanting to take an ownerless treasure just like them.
* ''VideoGame/SmallTownMurders'': Robert Van Santen was the evil guy not for wanting Barnaby Jarrow's treasure, but for murdering two people and trying to demolish someone else's house. Until the end of case 20, no one knew [[spoiler:Salty Pete, being Barnaby Jarrow's descendant, was the legitimate owner of the treasure]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfPussInBoots'': No one can blame Puss for taking a single coin from San Lorenzo's treasures since Dulcinea didn't tell him before it would break the city's magic barrier. The thieves in the series have also done immoral acts, but trying to take the same treasure without knowing its function in the village isn't one of them (not that it would stop them anyway).
[[/folder]]
'''Indices'''
* MoralityTropes
* TreasureTropes
* ExcuseOfAnIndex
