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<p>[QUOTE="Kaleun96, post: 22204012, member: 92635"]How about governments that arrest people for allegedly committing fraud?</p><p><br /></p><p>It's disappointing to see that the first reaction of many people to this news is to worry about a potential increased seizure of looted coins. This is someone who (allegedly) received coins known to have been looted, created fake provenances for those coins, and also attempt to purchase a fake provenance for 100,000 Swiss francs for another coin that later sold for 2.7M GBP.</p><p><br /></p><p>Not only is this person accused of knowingly receiving and selling stolen goods, they're also accused of inventing a fake provenance so that their coin, or their co-conspirator's coin, would net them more money and avoid the watchful eye of anti-looting investigators.</p><p><br /></p><p>A very distant concern, in my opinion, is whether this case will lead to a crackdown on buying and selling ancient coins. I think that is very unlikely with the exception that we may start seeing fewer dealers and auction houses willing to engage, or continuing to engage, in similar conduct. That is a good thing. None of us should be happy about buying coins that were known to have been illegally exported from the country in which they were found.</p><p><br /></p><p>Whether the repatriation laws are good or bad, or make sense or not, is entirely separate to this case. Whether the laws relating to the discovery of ancient coins in various countries are good or bad, or make sense or not, is entirely separate to this case.</p><p><br /></p><p>What the affidavit accuses the defendant and co-conspirator of are clear patterns of illegal activity that has very little to do with an admittedly over-zealous HSI special agent. Everyone here should want and expect relevant government authorities to investigate and prosecute to their full ability and extent of the law someone who knowingly buys and sells stolen goods and fraudulently misrepresents the origin of those stolen goods to potential buyers.</p><p><br /></p><p>Keep in mind that I'm only talking about cases in which someone *knowingly* sells goods that are stolen or misrepresented. If the dealer/auction house has no reason to believe an item is stolen/looted and the consignor provides some vague provenance (that is then not enhanced by the dealer/seller), that's a completely different situation in my mind. But that situation is not the same as this situation that Beale and Vecchi have allegedly found themselves in.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Kaleun96, post: 22204012, member: 92635"]How about governments that arrest people for allegedly committing fraud? It's disappointing to see that the first reaction of many people to this news is to worry about a potential increased seizure of looted coins. This is someone who (allegedly) received coins known to have been looted, created fake provenances for those coins, and also attempt to purchase a fake provenance for 100,000 Swiss francs for another coin that later sold for 2.7M GBP. Not only is this person accused of knowingly receiving and selling stolen goods, they're also accused of inventing a fake provenance so that their coin, or their co-conspirator's coin, would net them more money and avoid the watchful eye of anti-looting investigators. A very distant concern, in my opinion, is whether this case will lead to a crackdown on buying and selling ancient coins. I think that is very unlikely with the exception that we may start seeing fewer dealers and auction houses willing to engage, or continuing to engage, in similar conduct. That is a good thing. None of us should be happy about buying coins that were known to have been illegally exported from the country in which they were found. Whether the repatriation laws are good or bad, or make sense or not, is entirely separate to this case. Whether the laws relating to the discovery of ancient coins in various countries are good or bad, or make sense or not, is entirely separate to this case. What the affidavit accuses the defendant and co-conspirator of are clear patterns of illegal activity that has very little to do with an admittedly over-zealous HSI special agent. Everyone here should want and expect relevant government authorities to investigate and prosecute to their full ability and extent of the law someone who knowingly buys and sells stolen goods and fraudulently misrepresents the origin of those stolen goods to potential buyers. Keep in mind that I'm only talking about cases in which someone *knowingly* sells goods that are stolen or misrepresented. If the dealer/auction house has no reason to believe an item is stolen/looted and the consignor provides some vague provenance (that is then not enhanced by the dealer/seller), that's a completely different situation in my mind. But that situation is not the same as this situation that Beale and Vecchi have allegedly found themselves in.[/QUOTE]
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