GAINESVILLE, Mo. — A small packet of inexpensive Chinese and Cypriot coins imported from England by the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) have been seized by Customs in Baltimore, Maryland.
The coins were imported to test the legitimacy of State Department (DOS) imposed import restrictions via two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU).
ACCG maintains that actions of DOS relating to implementation of the Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) have been secretive, arbitrary and capricious and will contest the seizure in the U.S. Federal District Court in Baltimore.
Information from another Freedom of Information Act lawsuit suggests that the DOS failed to follow the recommendations of its own experts on the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) in extending restrictions to Cypriot coins, and then misled Congress about this decision. Other information implicates DOS bureaucrats adding coins to the Chinese MOU even though Chinese officials never asked for their inclusion. Read the rest of this entry »
An acquisition fund managed by a committee of the ACCG will help small museums in England and Wales to retain local finds under the Treasure Act.
A newly formed Ancient Coin Collectors Guild Museum Fund has been established to help provide funding to small museums in England and Wales that wish to purchase local finds of ancient coins offered to them in accordance with provisions of the Treasure Act.
Many small museums have inadequate find purchasing budgets and although there are schemes such the Headley Trust which might award a portion of the price for purchases of ₤500 or more, amounts lower than this must be entirely raised by the local museum. If the museum fails to raise the money, the coins might be purchased by a larger museum and leave the area where they were found. Local museums will place such finds on display to be enjoyed by the local population. Read the rest of this entry »
The ACCG has launched phase two of a coordinated plan to challenge import restrictions on ancient coins.
As a British Airways jetliner touched down in Baltimore on April 15th , many U.S. citizens were busy writing last minute checks to the IRS. In the face of mounting global crises, they could hardly have anticipated that some of their tax dollars would be used by the U.S. State Department (DOS) to wage an ideological war against coin collectors.
Part of the cargo of BA 229/16 that day was a small packet of 23 very common, inexpensive, Cypriot and Chinese coins being imported by a collector advocacy group, the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG). The entry of these coins, forbidden by DOS under bilateral agreements with Cyprus and China, marked the launch of a test case to determine whether the State Department has banned their importation properly under a 1983 law dealing with the protection of cultural property. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on the Federal Register and brought to light through the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG), new U.S. import restrictions have been imposed on many ancient Chinese coins and other artifacts.
The Federal Register, which is the official source for notices by government agencies, published the State Department’s final rule that amends U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to impose import restrictions on the following Chinese coins:
Zhou Media of Exchange and Tool-shaped Coins: Early media of exchange include bronze spades, bronze knives, and cowrie shells. During the 6th century BC, flat, simplified, and standardized cast bronze versions of spades appear and these constitute China’s first coins. Other coin shapes appear in bronze including knives and cowrie shells. These early coins may bear inscriptions.
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The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) reports a successful benefit auction with sales of donated ancient coins, related books, and antiquity lots netting $45,811.
The online auction was held in August and hosted on the Vauction site to raise funds for ACCG — a non-profit organization.
The auction was organized to help in anticipated legal expenses and initiatives in opposition to the State Department imposed import restrictions on ancient coins.
The original donor supported goal of 150 lots for the auction were exceeded, as were pre-auction total estimates.
ACCG reports 208 lots were offered and 1,481 bids registered. Stated highlights include:
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An online auction of ancient coins will be held in August 2008 to raise funds for ACCG legal initiatives in opposition to the State Department imposed import restrictions on ancient coins.
An Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) benefit auction is currently being organized to raise funds for anticipated legal expenses in opposition to State Department imposed import restrictions on ancient coins. The online sale, closing on August 17, 2008, will be hosted on the Vauction site as a fund raiser for anticipated legal expenses.
Individuals wishing to donate coins for this sale may contact Wayne G. Sayles, ACCG Executive Director by telephone at 417-679-2142 or by email at director@accg.us for details.
A goal of 150 lots has been established and some exceptional coins have already been pledged. All donations are welcome. Coins of lesser grade or value may be combined into multiple coin lots. All donations should be arranged as early as possible, but not later than June 15, 2008 in order to provide time for proper cataloging and processing.
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In a sad twist of irony, newer import policy has stopped or severely restricted a number of ancient coins from entering the U.S., but at the same time lead-coated toys and dog-killing food entered too easily.
No one questions that the latter should never happen again. And certainly, safeguards should be implemented to help prevent looting in archaeological sites and the selling of stolen property into other countries.
But still and always, policy needs to be clearly stated, documented and balanced to allow and enable legitimate international exchange.
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