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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Drusus, post: 513752, member: 6370&quot;]German numismatists ring the alarm bells </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>German cultural authorities have begun searching private homes and seizing entire collections of antique coins, if provenance of only a few coins in the collection is not documented. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>These invasions are being conducted under the new German laws on importation of cultural property. Coins being subjected to such scrutiny are not restricted to ancient coins presumed to have been excavated - medieval and antique modern coins are also subject to the same measures. In one case, a pensioner from the Thuringian Eisenberg recently acquired four old coins on an Internet auction site. Shortly afterwards his house was searched, ending with seizure of his entire&nbsp; collection. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Collectors are understandably alarmed, because very few coins in their collections have provenances that will satisfy the new laws. When a collection becomes suspect only a short time is being allowed to prove licit origin before the collection is seized, and then even if the suspicion is unfounded, it is very difficult to recover the collection. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Not only coins, but all &quot;cultural objects&quot; more than 100 years old are </p><p>subject to these new cultural laws, leading to fears that stamp collections, collections of graphic arts and antique jewelry may also be targeted. The list of &quot;cultural objects&quot; in the 1970 UNESCO Convention is very extensive, including such common things as coins, postage stamps, photographs and printed books. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>German coin collectors now feel completely insecure, like criminals suspected of breaking the law. According to Ulf Draeger - head of the Moritzburg Landesmünzkabinetts and chairman of the German Society of Medallic Arts - the entry into force of these new laws, despite their laudable intentions, has led to significant collateral damage in only a short time. His conclusion: &quot;If this situation continues, then we can pack up.&quot; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>For a summary in English see </p><p><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L/message/3348" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L/message/3348" rel="nofollow">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L/message/3348</a> </p><p>For the original articles in German see </p><p><a href="http://www.numismatische-gesellschaft.de/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.numismatische-gesellschaft.de/" rel="nofollow">http://www.numismatische-gesellschaft.de/</a> </p><p><a href="http://tinyurl.com/dfc7sp" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://tinyurl.com/dfc7sp" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/dfc7sp</a> </p><p><a href="http://tinyurl.com/bc8pqz" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://tinyurl.com/bc8pqz" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/bc8pqz</a> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The gentleman from Thuringia whose collection they stole (I mean confiscated) had a collection much like mine ranging from ancients to modern...they took the whole collection regardless.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This all comes down to authorities and nations instituting overly harsh laws that brand all those who collect as criminals. Or as one elitist archeologist who has obvious disdain for all collector call us &#039;coin fondlers&#039; equating collecting to a &#039;fetish&#039;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>For example in Serbia and other places like it...just metal detecting a field means you are a criminal...archeologists say they are just trying to protect sites but for bright people, they seem oblivious to the fact that such harsh laws simply assure that these people would NEVER report finds in fear they will be labeled a criminal. Archeologist say to only collect coins with provenance but then label anyone trying to ship or sell a coin as a &#039;looter&#039;...museums seldom release coins for sale so how is one supposed to collect? </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It is a much better way to allow people to search for coins...if they find them and report them, then they are allowed to keep the lions share of them and museums get first shot and can take examples of those coins and reimburse the guy who found it. Labeling collectors criminals is just over kill and will never solve the problem as most collectors are lovers of history and would rather work within the law and have coins that have provenance.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There are so many coins found each year there is no reason that collectors could not be allowed to buy the coins that museums will not display...its shear elitist entitlement by archeologist who believe all antiquities should be kept out of the hands of the public. Until the changes, nothing will change. Collectors are not going anywhere. </p><p>So one might want to rethink sharing their collection for others to view online....many collectors openly share their collections instead of storing them in a basement which is the fate of many coins that end up in museums or universities...this type of garbage will put an end to that sadly.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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