Josh, a few observations on this story:
a) I'm sure you were grief-stricken @ your "ill-gotten" rings. But not to worry: Send them all to me, and I will absolve your conscience of all guilt !
b) I am utterly shocked there was not "confiscations", "jail", "tickets" etc.... A mere appraisal? Even "nice" as you say ? Say it isn't so !
c) and now you see or heard of others going un-bothered . Who just haven't happened to run into the singular concerned bureaucrat. Well gee, you'd best run out there and warn them of the impending doom !
There was a story on fmdf one time, where some Florida hunters were disputing the boundaries of a particular beach. One hunter had gone into the Mel Fisher museum and asked the attendant on duty. Who gave all sorts of dire restrictions and warnings. The md'r took it to heart and simply never detected. Imagine his surprise, years later, when he was reading threads of persons who were detecting XYZ stretch of beach , for years, w/o a care in the world. Not sure if the Mel Fisher people had their facts wrong , or if it was simply a case of no one caring, etc... But the humorous part of the thread was where the first md'r was kicking himself, for having precluded himself from years of hunting.