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Message:: [QUOTE="Andrew McCabe, post: 5060843, member: 90666"]Cut off for me is the Euphronios Krater scandal that erupted around 2002 and was very widely publicised. From that date, it became clear to collectors of all types of antiquity that stuff needed to have proof of legal export. Before that kerfuffle, really it was all ok and there was so much undocumented flow of coins that, who can say if a coin was found 1999 or 1517. Thus,  if substantial coins have no clear provenance before the 21st Century, I avoid. Doesn't mean such coins arent legally held- the MOUs for example do not cover the denarius coinage of the Roman Republic or later, not trade coins. This is about a decade before the MOUs because the MOUs were drafted in response to the Euphronios krater scandal and subsequent court cases. If you don't know the background there's several relevant books and lots on the Internet. But basically courts said you gotta do due diligence on your provenances. I make exceptions for some low value bronzes which may have been around centuries but just never photographed. I also buy coins that look like they likely have provenance from tone or circumstances of sale, then search the provenances. If I dont find anything then sometimes I sell the coins on, no matter how lovely I take a much more restricted view on my own permanent collection than laws or regulations cover because I hope still to be collecting many decades from now and regulations may change.[/QUOTE]