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State Department vs. Coin Collecting

messydeskmessydesk Posts: 19,642 ✭✭✭✭✭
Yeah, this only affects darkside stuff for now, but I just got an Urgent e-mail from Heritage regarding import restrictions of ancients as follows:

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The war being waged by government bureaucrats against the hobby of coin collecting continues. Bulgaria is requesting the U.S. Government to restrict imports of artifacts from that country, probably including coins. Ancient coin collectors in the U.S. have only until this Wednesday, November 2nd, to make their voices heard on these restrictions.

Over the past few years, State Department's cultural property division has imposed a series of new "Memorandums of Understanding" (MOUs) with several nations, including China, Cyprus, Italy, and Greece, adding ancient coins on the list of restricted imports. These actions were taken over the objections of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC), which is charged by law with setting U.S. government policy regarding cultural property claims by foreign states. There is strong evidence that a rogue element within the State Department, bowing to the wishes of the academic elite, is seeking to stamp out the collecting of ancient coins altogether, and is actually encouraging foreign governments to demand coin import restrictions in pursuit of this goal. [emphasis added]

Now, Bulgaria has requested a new MOU restricting imports to the United States from that country. The modern state of Bulgaria exists on an important crossroads in ancient times and many Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins circulated in that region. Modern Bulgaria had no role in the creation of these coins, yet the government claims anything found on Bulgarian territory as part of their "cultural heritage."

Despite the Obama Administration's claims of promoting bureaucratic transparency, the State Department has not revealed whether coins are included in this request. However, the recent pattern suggests the request includes ancients and perhaps all coins up to the 19th century. CPAC is inviting public comment on the proposed restrictions, and it is important that every collector of ancient coins make their feelings known to the committee. It is vital that the public record shows that the weight of public opinion is against such restrictions. If the committee's advice is backed by a strong enough public outcry, it may induce the State Department to reduce the severity of import restrictions and/or narrow their focus, as occurred when most Roman coins were exempted from the Italian MOU.

We at Heritage stand behind America's ancient coin collectors in resisting governmental encroachment on the free trade of ancient coins across national borders. Please read the fact sheet below prepared by attorney Peter Tompa, who has been carrying on the fight against import restrictions on behalf of American coin collectors. It contains vital information on how you can contact CPAC and make yourself heard.

To submit comments electronically to the State Department's Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC), click here

For further details of the request, click here.

What is at issue? Though details are few, the public summary the State Department has provided indicates that Bulgaria seeks import restrictions on objects from 7500 B.C. to the 19th c. AD. As a practical matter, this means the State Department and US Customs may be considering restrictions on tribal coinages from Thrace, coins of Greek city-states like Apollonia, Pontica, and Mesembria, Roman provincial coins struck at Bulgarian mints, and even some Roman Imperial coins. It's also possible that any restrictions will include later coins as well. If restrictions are imposed on coins, many common types will likely become so difficult to import legally that they will become unavailable to most collectors.

Why bother? Large numbers of coin collectors have made their concerns known to CPAC. Recently, 70% of the comments CPAC received on an MOU with Greece were from concerned coin collectors. Even though recent extensions of import restrictions to certain Greek and Roman Republican coins from Italy and on coins from Cyprus despite the vast amount of public comment make it easy to become cynical, public comment can at least help moderate demands for import restrictions. For example, archaeologists actively sought import restrictions on Roman coins as well during the discussions about the Italian MOU, but they remain exempted, likely due to the 2000 or so faxes CPAC received from concerned collectors.

What should I say? Tell the State Department and CPAC what you think about the bureaucracy's efforts to deny you the ability to collect common ancient artifacts that are available worldwide. You also might consider noting that coins from Bulgarian mints are common and often very inexpensive. Tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands exist in collections around the world, and because of the low price the vast majority of these coins will never have been through an auction and will have no verifiable provenance. You can also note that restricting import of such coins will likely drive up their value and increase the incentive to "loot" them from unauthorized excavations, the exact opposite of the intended effect.

If you are having trouble commenting from the direct link above, go to www.regulations.gov and search on docket number DOS-2011-0115.

Further information about www.regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting comments, and viewing the dockets, is available on the site under "How To Use This Site." Kindly note that your comments will be public so avoid conveying any personal information, and, of course, be polite in commenting on the issue. Please submit comments just once, before the cutoff of 5:00 PM ET Nov. 2, 2011.


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Sounds like a pretty strong allegation in bold above, but it wouldn't surprise me. Also, while this may seem to only affect ancient and darkside collectors, is this a slippery slope that could lead to Spain, France, or Great Britain wanting to ban imports of anything ever Spanish, French, or British to the US under the auspices of academia attempting to protect cultural antiquities?

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