That which is the property of nobody, belongs to our lord the king.

Explanation

Property that belongs to no one reverts to the sovereign — in the American system, to the People collectively through the state.

Where this applies

• Abandoned property with no identifiable owner is claimed by the state because property that belongs to no one reverts to the sovereign.
• A shipwreck with no surviving owner or heirs is discovered off the coast, and the government claims it under the principle that ownerless property belongs to the sovereign.
• Mineral rights beneath land that was never privately claimed are held by the state because resources belonging to no individual revert to the sovereign people through their government.