Armory v Delamirie

Armory v Delamirie is a 1722 King's Bench decision that established the finders rights doctrine in English property law. A chimney sweep's boy found a jewel while working and brought it to a goldsmith's shop to have it valued; the goldsmith's apprentice removed the stone from its setting and offered a low price, then refused to return the stone when the boy declined. The court held that although a finder does not become the true owner of a lost item, a finder has a title good against everyone except the true owner, and awarded damages measured by the value of the finest jewel that would fit the setting, since the defendant's wrongdoing prevented the true value from being shown. The case remains the leading authority on the possessory rights of finders of lost property.