What is the value of a Native American arrowhead?

Answer 1

Simple Answer:From $10.00 on E-bay to Priceless (an American Indian opinion) or even $20,000.00 in fines and 2 years in prison. See caveat's below. Pro's:United States Law (United States Code - USC) section 16 gives some exemptions to native American artifacts (see caveat's below). Arrowheads found on the surface of the ground, and not part of an archaeological site requires no registration with the US Dept. of Interior. Also private collections lawfully obtained before October 31 1979 are legal. Please note the exceptions below however. Con's:An "Archaeological Site" is an ambiguous legal definition, it could be a single burial mound, the site of a known battle, or defined by multiple objects of archaeological value in an "area" (also not defined). It should also be noted that this same law states "Federal & Tribal Lands" but elsewhere states "Archaeological sites on privately held lands" most notably for the US Civil War battlegrounds; in Redmond Washington a man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for digging into a burial mound on private property.

"Lawfully obtained Private Collections" is another ambiguous term, the FBI has seized some collections as when they go on sale they are then in "commerce" and no longer privately held; many native Americans also believe and support that the collections held in private hands prior to that date were never "lawfully obtained."

Recent action by the FBI has shown that statements that these are legal collections may not be true; please see Operation Bring em Back. The FBI have searched, seized and arrested people that 'think' the collection is protected and that it was lawfully obtained, or who believe they can take the items held on private property.

Summary:The 'choice' is yours, it always is. I think of it like speeding, you can do it and do it a lot but people still get tickets for it; not all of them but some of them. Native Americans (like myself) are against these types of collections as well as their trade, we push for FBI involvement in stopping them (this involves cultural things that would take too long to describe) even the very small collections.

Even the 'reputable traders' in such artifacts have stated "Native American artifacts is a high risk investment because of Federal Laws." Jimmy Carter's clause "the Carter Clause" (there is no actual clause with that name) is a slippery slope; reputable dealers include a COA with their finds.

Answer 2

it really depends on what condition it is and where it was found but the highest money possible would come from a museum or a historian