German law outlines specific regulations for found items, differentiating between lost property and treasure. Finders of lost items are entitled to a fee: 5% for values under €500, and 2% for the amount exceeding €500, with keeping items constituting embezzlement. Professor Martin Schermaier of the University of Bonn explains that treasure finds, such as old gold coins, fall under treasure trove law, potentially involving monument protection. Treasure, defined as items hidden so long the owner is untraceable, is split 50/50 between the finder and landowner, but transfers to the state if it possesses scientific value. Philipp Konopka from Kommunalberatung Potsdam-Mittelmark confirms no finder's fee is granted if items are linked to a crime. Unclaimed items at the lost and found office after six months become municipal property.