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<p>[QUOTE="Keith Twitchell, post: 7896560, member: 83799"]There are other key points in this debate. One is rarity. A coin or artifact that is unique or highly unusual, and very specific to the place where it was found, should never be taken out of its country of origin. Ancient coins of which many thousands were minted, or artifacts of similar ubiquity (i.e., ushtabis), neither add to historical understanding nor diminish a country's patrimony by being offered openly on the collectors' market. One of the best models for this is England, which requires any artifact or coin found in the country to be reviewed by the appropriate authorities. If it is deemed important for archeology and history, it goes to the appropriate university, museum or other institution. If not, the person who found can keep it or sell it. This encourages responsible collecting, thwarts looters, ensures that history and national legacy are preserved, and enables individuals to possess items for their own education and wonder. I think it is also worth noting that most museums actually display a small fraction of their collections. Sometimes they have many, many examples of a coin or artifact. Is the public good better served by keeping these items in storage, or by allowing responsible collectors to enjoy them, study them, share them in photos and discussions like Coin Talk, etc.? I would say it's the latter.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Keith Twitchell, post: 7896560, member: 83799"]There are other key points in this debate. One is rarity. A coin or artifact that is unique or highly unusual, and very specific to the place where it was found, should never be taken out of its country of origin. Ancient coins of which many thousands were minted, or artifacts of similar ubiquity (i.e., ushtabis), neither add to historical understanding nor diminish a country's patrimony by being offered openly on the collectors' market. One of the best models for this is England, which requires any artifact or coin found in the country to be reviewed by the appropriate authorities. If it is deemed important for archeology and history, it goes to the appropriate university, museum or other institution. If not, the person who found can keep it or sell it. This encourages responsible collecting, thwarts looters, ensures that history and national legacy are preserved, and enables individuals to possess items for their own education and wonder. I think it is also worth noting that most museums actually display a small fraction of their collections. Sometimes they have many, many examples of a coin or artifact. Is the public good better served by keeping these items in storage, or by allowing responsible collectors to enjoy them, study them, share them in photos and discussions like Coin Talk, etc.? I would say it's the latter.[/QUOTE]
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