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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 2209426, member: 112&quot;]It&#039;s complex issue, and one that has been around for a long time. For instance, would a countries cultural heritage be threatened if objects were bought by collectors and then exported out of the country of origin ? And suppose that happens over and over and over again - kind of hard to say that would not threaten their cultural heritage.</p><p><br /></p><p>And a similar kind of thing happens when private collectors, within the country of origin, purchase items and keep them unto themselves. After a while, there is little left that can be shared with the citizenry. </p><p><br /></p><p>What people are trying to do with these kinds of laws is to stop that kind of thing from happening. Countries wish to retain their historical and cultural objects within their own borders so that all the citizens of the country can enjoy them, not just a few who can afford to buy them. </p><p><br /></p><p>And you also have to understand the history of Europe, the history of most of the world for that matter. For thousands of years it has been this country or that country is invaded and conquered by another, and all objects of value are taken from them by the conquerors. And so for thousands of years all countries lost their historical and cultural objects. In today&#039;s world, they wish to put a stop to that. And when viewed from that perspective, it is understandable.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here in this country, the US, we have not undergone that same things in our past that most of the the rest of the world has undergone. We have never had a foreign power invade and take everything we own. With one exception, that of the Native Americans. So it is hard for most people in the US to understand, and appreciate how others feel about this subject.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Native Americans understand because they have experienced it, firsthand, but few other Americans do. But even so, here in the US there are similar laws as those that have been passed in many other countries, and the ones being proposed in Germany, that protect and prohibit the acquisition and sale of Native American artifacts.</p><p><br /></p><p>And who opposes these laws ? The very people who wish to collect these objects. And yes, that includes coins. So to coin collectors these kinds of laws are an affront for they prevent us from doing what we love and as a general rule we oppose them because we tend to look at it from our perspective. But when you look at it from their perspective, things kind of change.</p><p><br /></p><p>Is there an easy answer, a solution ? If there is I am not aware of it. But that&#039;s what the laws are trying to come up with. And that&#039;s why they have provisions like those mentioned by Christian, because if an object has been in your family for generations, then why should you not have the right to sell it if you wish to do so ? It is your property, you own it, so you should be able to sell it to anybody you want. Problem is those provisions don&#039;t work because you can&#039;t prove that you have owned it for generations.</p><p><br /></p><p>So it is a dilemma, and seemingly one without an answer. And when you observe it from an unbiased perspective, it is easy to see both sides.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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