Referentenentwurf der Kulturgutschutznovelle veröffentlicht

von Ursula Kampmann

17. September 2015 – Am 15. September 2015 hat das Ministerium für Kultur und Medien den lange erwarteten dritten Referentenentwurf der Kulturgutschutznovelle endlich veröffentlicht. Er steht nun für alle zugänglich im Internet und kann dort direkt heruntergeladen werden.

Änderungen des Referentenentwurfs der Kulturgutschutznovelle
Ohne jetzt schon auf alle Details eingehen zu können, scheint der Entwurf stark überarbeitet worden zu sein, auch wenn darin immer noch Dinge stehen geblieben sind, die einem Münzhändler oder Sammler in einem Streitfall große Probleme bereiten können. So gilt, um nur ein einziges Beispiel zu nennen, für Münzen der Griechen, der römischen Kaiserzeit und Münzen mit arabischer Inschrift hinsichtlich der Sorgfaltspflichten immer noch Wertgrenze 0, da diese in der Red List von ICOM zu Syrien erwähnt werden (§ 44.1). Hier drohen dem Münzhändler immer noch drei Jahre Freiheitsstrafe, wenn er ein Stück in Verkehr bringt, auf das später ein Drittstaat Anspruch erhebt.
Ansonsten müssen wir auf das Urteil der Juristen warten, um diesen neuen Gesetzesentwurf hinsichtlich seiner Auswirkung auf Sammler und Händler zu beurteilen.

Sie können sich natürlich jederzeit selbst ein Bild machen. Der Referentenentwurf zur Kulturgutschutznovelle kann hier heruntergeladen werden.

Mündliche Anhörung zur Novellierung des Kulturgutschutzgesetzes
Nach knapp fünf Monaten hat es das Ministerium für Kultur und Medien auch geschafft, das Protokoll der mündlichen Anhörung zur Novellierung des Kulturgutschutzgesetzes zu veröffentlichen.

Das Protokoll der mündlichen Anhörung zur Novellierung des Kulturgutschutzgesetzes können Sie hier herunterladen.

Anwesend für die Münzsammler und Münzhändler waren: Michael Becker, Berufsverband des Deutschen Münzenfachhandels, Ulrich Künker und Dr. Hubert Lanz für den Verband der deutschen Münzhändler e. V. Nicol Worbs hatte gebeten für die Deutsche Numismatische Gesellschaft sprechen zu können, war aber zur Anhörung nicht eingeladen worden. Prof. Dr. Bernhard Weisser vertrat die Numismatische Kommission der Länder.

Möglichkeit der Stellungnahme von Ländern, kommunalen Spitzenverbänden, Fachkreisen und Verbänden
Drei Wochen haben nun Verbände und Interessensgemeinschaften Zeit, um ihre schriftliche Stellungnahme zum Entwurf der Novellierung des Kulturgutschutzgesetzes abzugeben. Sie müssen im Ministerium für Kultur und Medien bis zum 7. Oktober 2015 vorliegen. Danach ist die Verabschiedung des Entwurfs durch das Kabinett vorgesehen.

Erst danach beginnt das parlamentarische Verfahren. Allerdings wird mit einer Verabschiedung durch das Kabinett bereits eine entscheidende Weiche gestellt.

Zur Pressemeldung des Ministeriums für Kultur und Medien kommen Sie hier.

(Quelle: muenzenwoche.de)

Ministerial draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property published

by Ursula Kampmann
translated by Annika Backe

September 17, 2015 – On September 15, 2015, the German Ministry for Culture and Media has finally published the long awaited ministerial draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property. It is now available on the internet and can be downloaded for free.

Modifications of the ministerial draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property
Without going into too much detail at this stage, the draft seems to have been heavily revised though it still comprises some stipulations that may cause a coin dealer or a collector much trouble. To give only one example: in regards to due diligence guidelines, the value limit of 0 still applies to Greek coins, coins of Roman Imperial Times as well as coins bearing Arabic inscriptions, with these categories being mentioned in the ICOM Emergency Red List of Syrian Cultural Objects at Risk (§ 44,1). In this case, a coin dealer still faces the risk of imprisonment if he places an item on the market to which a third country later makes a claim.
As to the rest, we have to wait for the assessment of the jurists before we can say something about the repercussions this new draft bill will have on both collectors and dealers.

You can see it for yourself anytime. Please, download the ministerial draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property (written in German) here.

Oral hearing of the draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property
It took the Ministry of Culture and Media nearly five months to also publish the minutes of the oral hearing of the draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property.

Please, download the minutes of the oral hearing of the draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property (written in German) here.

Opportunity for federal states, community associations, experts and organizations to comment
Associations and interest groups are given a period of three weeks to submit their written statements on the draft of the amendment of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property. The statements have to be presented to the Ministry of Culture and Media by October 7. Then the draft will be adopted by the Cabinet.
The parliamentary procedure will follow afterwards. The adoption of the draft by the Cabinet, however, will have set the course by then.

Please, read the press release of the Ministry of Culture and Media (in German) here.

(Text from coinsweekly.com)

Article in CoinsWeekly: New Internet Presence of IAPN

September 17, 2015 – The world-leading association of numismatic firms, the IAPN (International Association of Professional Numismatists), has reworked its website. The new internet presence impresses with a clean layout, a fresh design and a user-friendly structure.

Above all, the website provides information on the organization proper, its committees, its history as well as its tasks. A calendar listing auction sales of IAPN members as well as a freely accessible database of stolen coins are likewise worth a visit.

As a sub-committee of the IAPN, the Anti-Forgery-Committee IBSCC (International Bureau for the Suppression of Counterfeit Coins) provides information about its work. Furthermore, IAPN members are granted full access to the IBSCC Archive of Fakes.

See more CoinsWeekly

XV International Numismatic Congress Taormina, 21-25 September 2015

Round Tables – Final Programme

Numismatics in the 21st century:
Jobs, careers, professions for the young generation of coin enthusiasts

Wednesday, 23rd Sept., 11:00 am-1:00 pm
(dedicated to the memory of Herbert A. Cahn on the centenary of his birth)

Conveners:
B (Convener) ARNOLD-BIUCCHI, Carmen, President of the INC
B (Convener) KIRSCH, Arne, President of the IAPN
Moderators:
B (Moderator) ARNOLD-BIUCCHI, Carmen, President of the INC
B (Moderator) CACCAMO CALTABIANO, Maria, Università di Messina, Italy

The XVth International Numismatic Congress gathers numismatists – scholars, students, museum curators, collectors, and dealers, anybody interested in coins – and presents a unique opportunity to emphasize the importance of the study of coins as primary historical sources, as art works and as collectibles. The purpose of this Round Table is to reflect of the state and role of our discipline in the 21st century and to discuss the many possibilities it opens and the kind of real jobs it can offer to the young generation. We have invited young enthusiastic colleagues from the main branches of our field who have been successful in finding a position through their pursuit of numismatics to talk about their experience.

Participants:
B.1. ARNOLD-BIUCCHI, Carmen, President of the INC – KIRSCH, Arne, President of the IAPN
Welcome and introduction

B.2. D’OTTONE, ARIANNA, Università di Roma ‘La Sapienza’, Italy
How I came to teach (Islamic) Numismatics

B.3. DUYRAT, Frédérique, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Numismatists in a museum: the case of the Bibliothèque nationale de France

B.4. GUEST, David, Classical Numismatic Group, London Office, United Kingdom
My Life as a Coin Dealer so far

B.5. HAHN, Silke, Institute of Numismatics and Money History
Studying Numismatics in Vienna at the independent Institute of Numismatics and Money History

B.6. KAMPMANN, Ursula, Coins Weekly
Doing whatever you like and finding somebody to pay you: The daily routine of a freelance numismatic journalist

B.7. PUGLISI, Mariangela, Università di Messina, Italy
From the D.R.A.C.M.A. Project to the D.I.A.N.A. Atlas: a personal scientific growth through teamwork

Programme as pdf

Il premio Nobel dei numismatici “Con le monete sfioro la storia”

Carlo Crippa: «Vorrei che i milanesi leggessero questi libri: insegnano qualcosa sulla città». Il figlio Paolo: «In classe ero l’unico che non faceva l’album dei calciatori»

Carlo Crippa, 86 anni (Fotogramma)

Tutto iniziò stringendo fra le mani un sesterzio di Nerone. Aveva 20 anni Carlo Crippa quando con l’immaginazione di un ragazzo scatenò la fantasia che lo ha spinto a studiare monete antiche per più di 60 anni. A New Orleans, dalle mani dell’Associazione mondiale dei numismatici ha appena ricevuto il «Book Prize» per la miglior pubblicazione dell’anno. Suona come un premio alla carriera. Un’opera omnia che vale come regalo a Milano. «La nostra Zecca è stata tra le più prestigiose d’Europa, l’unica a batter monete ininterrottamente dal Medioevo a fine ‘800» spiega. «Le monete di Milano» (che completa una collana di altri tre volumi) è un lavoro unico nel panorama editoriale della numismatica. Un puzzle di indizi, ricostruzioni, studi di grafia. Una caccia al tesoro che è diventata guida pratica, non un arido elenco. Per ogni moneta il suo collegamento storico, spesso per immagini. L’indice di rarità per aiutare il collezionista. 

Carlo Crippa 86 anni portati in un impeccabile completo blu. Lo sfondo dello studio sono teche cariche di libri. Quello del suo iPhone una moneta di Siracusa del 350 avanti Cristo. Il flusso di parole inarrestabile. Fluido come l’orgoglio di chi ancora ragazzo ha scelto una professione e l’ha mantenuta viva tutta la vita senza mai pentirsene. «Stringere una moneta significa sfiorare la storia». Per spiegare come un ragazzo di quell’età si possa innamorare di un mondo così antico servono i ricordi delle sue origini bergamasche. «Ho sempre avuto una certa creatività: a 13 anni suonavo il violino. A scuola disegnavo le facciate delle case di Bergamo alta». Nel 1962 fonda la Crippa Numismatica nel cuore di Milano, prima in piazza Belgioioso, poi dietro la basilica di San Simpliciano. Come un direttore d’orchestra, Crippa dirige due dei figli che l’hanno seguito in questa avventura. Non per atto di fede (giurano). Una passione guadagnata per osmosi. Silvana, 55 anni, è coautrice del volume sulle monete di Milano. «Dopo il liceo Classico, gli studi in Storia dell’arte. Ho sempre amato la ricerca. Ho affiancato papà dopo la laurea: la mia tesi fu sulla Zecca di Milano sotto gli Sforza» ricorda. Paolo, 49 anni, ha scattato le foto. Si occupa del lato commerciale, organizza le aste quando i clienti decidono di vendere dei pezzi. «Siamo stati i primi tra le ditte di numismatica a entrare in Rete nel ‘98» racconta. Ricorda come fosse ieri i giorni in cui ancora bambino collezionava gli scarti di foto di monete di papà. «Questo è un lavoro che non puoi farti piacere. È passione vera. In classe ero l’unico che non faceva l’album delle figurine dei calciatori».  

Per lavorare a queste pubblicazioni la famiglia Crippa ha dovuto viaggiare per l’Europa. Perdersi, per ritrovarsi negli archivi di musei, di invalicabili collezioni private. Vienna, Parigi: giornate intere armati di pazienza per le attese dovute alla burocrazia. Così sono diventati un riferimento per gli appassionati del genere che hanno diviso la storia della numismatica in A.c e D.c: avanti Crippa e dopo Crippa. Un mondo quello dei collezionisti di monete indelebile alla crisi. Economica e intellettuale. Sono cultori d’arte, della storia. Anche molto giovani. C’è chi è appassionato di un periodo storico, chi semplicemente vuole fare un investimento destinato a non scadere mai. «Vorrei che il nostro lavoro appassionasse la gente comune, non solo gli addetti ai lavori. Spero lo leggano i milanesi, per scoprire qualcosa della loro città». Crippa accarezza le pagine con la cura di chi ha investito i migliori anni della sua vita lavorativa. Conosce ogni didascalia a memoria. Una sola cosa lo infastidisce. Parlare di francobolli. «Molti associano lo spessore delle collezioni. Ma i francobolli hanno un centinaio d’anni di storia. Le monete sono nate nel VII secolo. C’è chi pensa siano quelle avanzate nei cassetti della nonna». E lo dice senza un minimo di arroganza. Ma gonfiando il petto. È solo passione di chi ha speso 35 anni per raccontare attraverso le monete 1100 anni di storia. E quando nei forum online, la gente gli chiedeva con ansia notizie dell’uscita, ha avuto la pazienza di aspettare che l’opera fosse veramente completa. Definitiva.

14 giugno 2015 | 15:27

© RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA

 

July 23, 2015 – The ministerial draft on the new German legislation on the Protection of Cultural heritage is currently under heavy fire by the media. One possible reason is that no experts from the trade were involved in its preparation. Both the trade and the German Numismatic Society were left out of the preparations of the draft bill right from the start. Thus, representatives of the trade had to enforce their claim for participation in the preparatory meeting held at the Federal Foreign Office in December 2014 by writing a letter to the Federal Foreign Minister. Its request notwithstanding, the German Numismatic Society was not even allowed to attend the oral hearing of the draft bill on April 22, 2015. The key arguments of the German Coin Dealer Associations fizzle out because, after three months, there is still no publication of the minutes of the hearing from April 22, 2015, in sight so that the Ministers who will vote on the draft in the near future have no idea about where the representatives of the trade stand on this. This is all the more disappointing because Dr Günter Winands, Deputy of the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Culture and Media, has stated expressively in the mentioned hearing that coins will be regarded separately.

The German collectors thus intend to light a beacon that hundreds of thousands of coin collectors in this country do not want a law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage that makes the bureaucratic due diligence procedures impossible to follow, to the effect that any collecting will be rendered impossible. The new legislation must not have the effect that objects, whose provenance cannot be ascertained for the past 20 years, diminish in value significantly and sometimes cannot even be traded anymore.

Affected are not only ancient coins, with items worth 100 euros and more requiring special due diligence procedures, but all coins above a value limit of 2,500 euros. 

The wording of the petition reads as follows:

For preserving the right to privately collect

The stipulations of the amendment of the law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage threaten the collecting of cultural objects by private individuals. This law will effect everybody specialized in traditional collecting fields, such as books, stamps, furniture, ceramics, coins, classic cars and paintings. Retroactively, this new law will impose due diligence guidelines that are impossible to follow even for the most meticulous collector. When it comes to a dispute, the law will require, by reversing the burden of proof, the owner of a “cultural good” with a value of at least 2,500 euros to provide proof as to the item’s provenance for the previous 20 years; this affects “archaeological cultural goods” with a value as low as 100 euros.

This is an unrealistic demand which misrepresents most of the objects that are currently traded on the domestic and the international art market in full accordance with the law as being illegal, and will result in a considerable decline in value of the objects in question.

We therefore demand a law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage that observes the following principles:

• No retroactive effect of the law

• No reversal of the burden of proof

• A clear definition of the term “national cultural heritage” and a limit to claims by the state to “national cultural heritage” only

• Free movement, unimpaired by bureaucratic obstacles, of cultural goods which are not classified as “natural cultural heritage”, EU-wide, according to the free movement of goods

• An appropriate participation by the parties representing collectors and dealers in the law-making process

For centuries collectors have protected cultural heritage. Private collecting adds to national efforts and promotes the tradition’s preservation in all its variety, in a way museums alone could never accomplish. Collecting is an immaterial cultural heritage that is currently threatened by the latest drafts of the new German law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

It is important that the German government notes that this petition is appreciated abroad. Add your name to the online petition the matter of which we explicitly support. It will only take you a few minutes. You can sign either by name or anonymously.

So please support your fellow collectors by signing, too, and distributing the link as widely as possible.

Actively participating in this petition and informing as many collectors as possible is the only chance for us of getting a hearing from the politicians. It is high time that the collectors gain the government’s attention again, not just some fanatic archaeologists.

Click here to visit the online petition.

Mail from Marc Breitsprecher to our member Ed Waddell, August 13th, 2014:

Hi Ed,

I have attached a copy of the “bullion coin invoice” that I developed to meet the standards of the law and thought you might be interested. I think all dealers and collectors need to be vigilant as the Minnesota Attorney General, Lori Swanson, plans on spreading this to other states….she feels it’s landmark legislation.

Here in Minnesota there were only a small handful of dealers who said a word about this. Collectors were silent and most dealers were silent. Part of the problem was that the legislature kept the entire thing as quiet as they could and then passed it through both houses and got it signed by the governor in 3 days. There were no alerts sent out by the numismatic community and other than Gary Adkins, the ANA knew nothing about the law even after it passed. I called them and they had no idea what I was talking about. The only response came from Ebay who sent their attorneys to Minnesota with a bushel of cash and successfully carved out an exemption for themselves. Money bought Ebay a voice in committee while my voice as a citizen was ignored by our “representative”Republic.
All the best, Marc

Minnesota_Law_-_Bullion_Coin_Invoice_VCoins_with_ID_number

Please, note the change of address of the following members:
changement de adresse des membres suivants

Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, Osnabrück
Nobbenburgerstr. 4a, 49076 Osnabrück Germany

Nudelman Numizmatika Kft.
Petöfi Sándor Utca 16, 1052 Budapest, Hungary

Dealers to reject Minnesota clients

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Pat Heller

The nation’s coin dealers are saying no to Minnesotans. Their choice is to reject these clients or comply with a draconian new state law.

It might surprise some that it has come to this, but there has been a long lead time in reaching this point of decision to stop doing business with people in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Last year the Minnesota legislature and governor, in response to what were considered a large number of incidents of coin dealers taking advantage of customers in that state, enacted what was supposed to be a consumer protection solution. That law took effect on Tuesday, July 1

Minnesota_Bullion_Law

From: Robert Brueggeman

To: All PNG Member-Dealers

June 19, 2014

RE: Operation Choke Point

There is a U.S. Justice Department initiative that has the potential to shut down every coin dealer — PNG member and non-PNG member alike — in the United States as well as curtail business by overseas dealers who use US-based banks. Read that again: the potential to shut down every coin dealer.

The threat is real, and this urgent email is sent to make sure every PNG member is aware of this profession-killing peril, and to encourage members to promptly take appropriate action.

The coin market menace is called “Operation Choke Point” and it literally has the potential to choke your business to death by pressuring banks and other financial institutions to close your accounts. Why?  Because, according to the Justice Department, you are engaged in a business with a high risk for fraud.

A May 29, 2014 report by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform stated: “Operation Choke Point has forced banks to terminate relationships with a wide variety of entirely lawful and legitimate merchants….  Acting in coordination with Operation Choke Point, bank regulators labeled a wide range of lawful merchants as high-risk including coin dealers….”

The concept of innocent until proven guilty apparently no longer applies to professional numismatists.  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) now includes coin dealers in the same risk category as ammunition sales, drug paraphernalia, credit card repair services, debt consolidation scams, escort services, online gambling, payday loan companies, Ponzi schemes and pornography.

Coin dealers are specifically mentioned on pages 1 and 8 of the House Committees report, and you can read the full report here: http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Staff-Report-Operation-Choke-Point1.pdf

So, what can you do?  First, support the recently-launched efforts by the Industry Council For Tangible Assets (https://owa.kuenker.de/owa/redir.aspx?C=7zkLxXenDUiG0rFxmJK8hFMEMaDfX9EIR_uWAVTcp_LQuJ-nnJmCen_CD-AmTr0XEOevKtAuCN4.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.ictaonline.org%2f) and the Gold & Silver Political Action Committee (http://www.goldandsilverpac.com) to oppose the unreasonable and unfair actions by the Justice Department.  ICTA and G&SPAC are on the front lines of fighting for legislative matters on behalf of professional numismatists.

Second, personally contact your local member of the United States House of Representatives and your state two U.S. Senators to strongly urge them to vigorously oppose the frightening, sweeping generalizations of Operation Choke Hold as outlined in the eye-opening May 29 report of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  (There are 40 members on that committee; perhaps your local Congressman/Congresswoman is one of them. Here's a list of members: http://oversight.house.gov/subcommittee/full-committee)

Earlier this month, a trade organization representing payday loan businesses filed a federal lawsuit (https://owa.kuenker.de/owa/redir.aspx?C=7zkLxXenDUiG0rFxmJK8hFMEMaDfX9EIR_uWAVTcp_LQuJ-nnJmCen_CD-AmTr0XEOevKtAuCN4.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fcfsaa.com%2fPortals%2f0%2flegal%2flawsuit%2fcfsa_complaint.pdf) against the FDIC, the Federal Reserve System Board and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. PNG’s Legal Counsel Armen Vartian will be following the progress of that complaint and PNG may file a friend of the court brief.

If you think your business has been harmed by bank actions arising from Operation Choke Hold, please contact me immediately.

Robert Brueggemann