The International Association of Professional Numismatists has asked the US State Department Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) to advocate ending or limiting damaging embargoes imposed on collector's coins openly and legally sold abroad, particularly in legitimate markets in Europe. The comments on the proposed renewal of a Cultural Property Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Italy also specifically asks that any extension not be used as an excuse to impose new import restrictions on widely circulating and collected late Roman Republican or Roman Imperial coins. These comments can be found here:
Proposed Renewal of the current MOU with the Republic of Italy: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0042
Proposed New MOU with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0034
Proposed Renewal of the current MOU with the Republic of Chile: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0035
Proposed Renewal of the current MOU with Kingdom of Morocco: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0036
The US State Department has announced a proposed renewal of a cultural property Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Italy. There is a danger that this will provide an excuse for US import restrictions implementing that MOU to be expanded to include late Roman Republican and Roman Imperial Coins.
Import restrictions could make it far more difficult to import such coins from legitimate markets in Europe like those in the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland.
Why? Because they would give US Customs the authority to assume that any late Roman Republican or Roman Imperial coins with a country of origin/manufacture of Italy (i.e., Rome and other late Imperial mints of Aquileia, Mediolanum, Ostia, Ravenna, and Ticinum) are the “cultural property” of the modern Republic of Italy.
US Customs could then demand that the importer “prove” that such coins were out of Italy before the effective date of any governing regulations, which can be difficult to do for many coins, particularly low value ones like most Roman coins.
And if you can’t provide this information? The coin(s) could be detained, seized and “repatriated” to the Italian government.
What can you do? Go to https://www.regulations.gov/, search for dos-2024-0048, and then click the blue “comment now” button. Or try this direct link: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/DOS-2024-0048-0001
What can you say? Your own comments focusing on how import restrictions might make it more difficult to purchase coins to appreciate ancient history and culture are the best, but here is a short model for you to use for your own comments:
Please reject any effort to expand current restrictions to include Roman coins. The Coin Hoards of the Roman Empire database lists over 6 million such coins. See https://chre.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/. Roman coins circulated from the UK to Sri Lanka so it is improper to assume any one individual coin is Italian Cultural Property. Import restrictions would damage my ability to learn more about ancient history and negatively impact my own interactions with other collectors, especially those in Europe where collecting Roman coins is particularly popular.
Want to learn more? Visit the Cultural Property Observer Blog at: https://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/ Or contact IAPN’s Executive Director, Peter Tompa, at pkt@pktcounsel.com.
Comments Must Be Made on or Before January 27, 2025.
For more about the International Association of Professional Numismatists, see https://www.iapn-coins.org/
For a PDF of this Post which may be used as a handout, see NYINC Handout Italian MOU 010725.pdf
The New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC) is the United States’ largest and most prestigious numismatic event targeting the needs of the foreign and ancient numismatic communities. The 53rd Annual NYINC will be held at the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel, located 111 East 48 Street, New York, NY 10017, at Lexington Avenue.
For a roster of the 40 IAPN member firms attending this important bourse, see NYINC IAPN Dealer Roster 2025 Final 010625.pdf
Additionally, please feel tree to ask IAPN's Executive Director, Peter Tompa, any questions you might have about the organization. IAPN will have its own booth at the show, No. 403.
The NYINC bourse area regular public hours will be:
Public registration is $25 (No Cash, only credit cards accepted) for a three-day pass valid during all public hours throughout the event.
For more information about the NYINC, see https://nyinc.info/.
The International Association of Professional Numismatists (I.A.P.N.) table at this summer's ANA - World's Fair of Money in Rosemont (Chicago), IL (USA)
Please stop by I.A.P.N.'s table #1632 in the Ancient & World section of the bourse to learn more about the Association, and to meet the IAPN Executive Director, Peter K. Tompa, who can answer questions about the I.A.P.N. or help put you in touch with Members participating at this year's event.
To find an IAPN Member at the event, view our IAPN Dealer Roster
The International Association of Professional Numismatists (I.A.P.N.) will have a table at this summer's ANA - World's Fair of Money in Rosemont (Chicago), IL (USA)
Please stop by I.A.P.N.'s table #1632 in the Ancient & World section of the bourse to learn more about the Association, our activities and important trade issues facing the industry. You can also get help with any questions you may have about buying and selling coins safely from members of the I.A.P.N., and also meet participating I.A.P.N. Members with tables on the bourse buying and selling coins and other collectible numismatic items.
Fair attendees can also meet the IAPN Executive Director who can answer questions about the I.A.P.N. or help put you in touch with Members participating at this year's event.
Please stop by and meet the I.A.P.N.!
Please Support HR 7865, a bill to facilitate the lawful trade of coins.
HR 7865 would amend the Cultural Property Implementation Act to facilitate lawful trade in numismatic materials. Specifically, it would allow for the import of coin types on “designated lists” as long as there is evidence that the numismatics item was acquired lawfully, is of a known type, and is not the direct product of illicit excavations within a State Party after the effective date of any import restrictions on coins. This legislation is necessary to address grossly overbroad import restrictions on common coins that circulated regionally and even internationally that are enforced not solely on items illicitly exported from a UNESCO State party after the effective date of implementing regulations, but rather as embargoes on all coins of given “designated types.” For further background, see this article published in CoinWeek:Bill Introduced to Facilitate Lawful Trade of Ancient Coins [April 30, 2024]
The following collector and trade organizations support this bill:
(1) American Numismatic Association (money.org) (2) Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (accguild.org) (3) CINOA (cinoa.org) (4) Global Heritage Alliance (global-heritage.org) (5) International Association of Professional Numismatists (iapn-coins.org)
PLEASE HELP!
Ask your Representative to Cosponsor HR 7865 in 3 Easy Steps:
Step 1: Find your Representative https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative Step 2: Email your Representative and request that they cosponsor HR 7865
Step 3: Email the IAPN Executive Director and ACCG Board MemberPeter Tompa at pkt@pktcounsel.com to let him know about your contact. He can follow up with your Representative’s office in conjunction with ACCG’s lobbyist, Marc Lubin.
Resources: Visit the following link to read the full text of the Bill, HR 7865(https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-118hr7865ih/pdf/BILLS-118hr7865ih.pdf)
This helpful flyer [.PDF] has been provided with the steps to contact your Representative. It can be viewed online or downloaded.
The IAPN's Executive Director, Peter Tompa represented the IAPN at CINOA’s Annual General Meeting held on July 4th and 5th, 2024 in Estoril, Portugal.
Peter interacted with representatives of other CINOA member organizations from Africa, Europe, and the US. He participated in roundtable discussions about regulatory issues facing the art, numismatics, and antiques trade.
Learn more about the IAPN + CINOA.
This week numerous IAPN Members have taken part in the inaugural coin fair, MADrid 2024 - Evento Numsimatico being held in Madrid, SPAIN.
On the morning of the first day of the event, collectors and dealers waited patiently in a long queue to be the first to enter the bourse area of the newest event on the numismatic calendar.
The IAPN's Executive Director, Peter K. Tompa was at Table #1 just inside the bourse representing the Association and greeting attendees curious to explore the new event.
Around the bourse at MADrid 2024 - Evento Numismatico:
MADrid 2024 is the inaugural coin fair being held in Madrid that seeks to establish itself as a meeting point between dealers, collectors, institutions and academics at an international level.
The first gathering will be held between 27 - 30 June, 2024.
MADrid 2024 will feature an auction by Jesús Vico on the 27th of June and a numismatic convention on 28-29 June at the Four Seasons in the center of the city of Madrid. During the coin fair there will also be, in parallel, institutional and scientific lectures.
MADrid 2024 Official website: https://eventonumismatico.es
MADrid 2024 - Roundtable Friday, 28, June 2024 at 16:30 - 17:30
"How to improve the interaction between public, the coin market, and museums."
Roundtable participants from left to right:
Daniel F. Sedwick (IAPN President and Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC); Ursula Kampmann (Coins Weekly); Andrew Brown (British Museum, Portable Antiquities Scheme); Shanna Schmidt (Shanna Schmidt Numismatics).
The IAPN’s Executive Director, Peter Tompa, joined other art trade experts in the second meeting of the European Commission’s Expert Sub-Group on the Dialogue with the Art Market. The meeting took place on March 28-29th, in Brussels, Belgium.
The IAPN will continue to monitor these new rules and will issue a more formal guidance as we get closer to their effective date.
[1] Confédération Internationale des Négociants en Œuvres d’Art [CINOA]
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