Stripe is the company I use to process credit card payments. Recently I got an unusual message from them. "We are contacting you to request some information as part of a standard review of your account. As a payments processor, we are obligated to collect certain information on our users. Please be aware that transfers on your account have been disabled until we are able to complete this review. As per Stripe's Restricted Businesses List [0], "It is prohibited to use the Service for any dealings, engagement, or sale of goods/services linked directly or indirectly with jurisdictions Stripe has deemed high risk, such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk Regions." We noticed that you have products for sale on your website that originate from Syria. - In order to continue using Stripe, we will need a direct confirmation that you understand the terms of services in the RBL, will not use Stripe for the sales of any Syria-origin goods, and will remove any goods of Syria-origin from your website. In order to avoid delays and resolve this review quickly, we ask that you please provide the requested information within 10 business days from the date of this email. If we do not receive a response from you during this period, we will regretfully be unable to offer you ongoing service and will close your account." I asked them which coins I had listed from Syria...their response-- Attaching a link to the Syrian coins that are on the website: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ma...12280_bc_mint_ai_khanoum/1693522/Default.aspx I immediately responded "That is not my store. Vcoins is an online mall of dozens of individual dealers. My store is "Victor's Imperial Coins" as my name is Victor I then said "Could you please enable transfers for my account?" the response-- "Thank you for your patience and many thanks for the clarification. I was able to complete the review on our end and have updated the account. Payouts are now enabled! Please don't hesitate to reply if I can be of further assistance." It's always something when you sell coins; but this one was pretty funny.
It shouldn't even matter if you had that coin listed. The modern state of Syria was created until the 1940's, that coin was made over 2000 years earlier. Deeming an ancient coin as a "Syria-origin good" is insane!
Welcome to ancient coin collecting. The US has prohibited countries (enemies) and MOU's with other countries. Interpretation is left up to people that don't understand and they are, at the end of the day, trying to do their job in their limited capacity and would rather be overzealous than let some law be broken.
Yes, truly. That's nuts, on so many levels. I now have an intense desire to buy a Syrian coin/banknote.
Here is a prohibited coin Elagabalus A.D. 218- 222 Syria, Antioch Here is the secret...when I list this coin on eBay, I will leave out the word "Syria"
They only look for the key words. You can try explaining history or geography to them, sometimes it works, usually not.
I’m facing that same issue while opening a business bank account. I appreciate their overzealousness but it still wastes time and makes them suspicious of me.
If you like Sassanian coinage, you could have problems. Sassanian Empire Khusro II AD 591 - 628 AR Drachm 30mm 4.2gm OBV: crowned and draped bust right. REV: Fire-altar with attendants. They were ancient Iranians (Iran is bad) that were adherents of Zoroastrianism, a dual religion of good and evil. There are still a few hundred thousand believers in Iran. another coin that might be problematic. Constantine I A.D. 322-323 19mm 3.0g CONSTAN-•TINVS AVG; laureate head right. SARMATIA DEVICTA; Victory advancing r., holding trophy, palm branch, spurning captive std. on ground to right. In ex. S✶AR RIC VII Arles 257 The Sarmatia coins were issued from London, Lyon, Arles, Trier and Sirmium. "Constantine hearing that the Sauromatae, who dwelt near the Palus Maeotis, had passed the Ister in boats, and pillaged his territories, led his army against them, and was met by the barbarians, under their king Rausimodus. The Sauromatae attacked a town which was sufficiently garrisoned, but its wall was built in the lower part of stone, and in the upper part of wood. They therefore thought that they might easily take the town by burning all the wooden part of the wall; and with that view set it on fire, and in the meantime shot at those who stood on the walls. The defenders threw down darts and stones upon the barbarians, and killed many of them; and Constantine then coming up and falling on them from a higher ground, slew a great number, took wore alive, and put the rest to flight. Rausimodus, having lost the greater part of his army, took shipping and crossed the Ister, with an intention of once more plundering the Roman dominions. Constantine, hearing of his design, followed them over the Ister, and attacked them in a thick wood upon a hill, to which they had fled, where he killed many of them, amongst whom was Rausimodus. He also took many of them prisoners, giving quarter to those that would submit; and returned to his head-quarters with an immense number of captives." Zosimus New History 2:21 (circa A.D. 490) The Sarmatians were a nomadic Iranian people.
Yeah I recently had an eBay listing taken down because the coin was minted in Syria (A small AE "persecution issue" under Maximinus Daia.) I re-listed it without mention Syria - instead I listed the mint as 'Roman Antioch' and it went through fine. Another time I had a listing taken down because they said it violated eBay's policy on not selling fake or reproduction coins. That's a good one, isn't it? The coin was a completely genuine 'tribute penny' and nowhere in the listing did I indicate it was anything but genuine. I had to contact them about it and eventually got it back up. Those were the only two times I ever ran into issues, though, so overall I can't complain.
