Comments on: State Department Adds New Import Restrictions http://www.coinlink.com/News/ancients/state-department-adds-new-import-restrictions/ Rare Coins & Currency News for Numismatic Collectors - Updated Daily Mon, 07 May 2012 19:57:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Jorg Lueke http://www.coinlink.com/News/ancients/state-department-adds-new-import-restrictions/comment-page-1/#comment-38149 Jorg Lueke Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:18:21 +0000 http://www.coinlink.com/News/ancients/state-department-adds-new-import-restrictions/#comment-38149 It is sad to see that coins are for the second time the subject of import restrictions. While looting of archaeological sites may be a problem coins are usually found in isolation from other archaeological objects. In the 2006 PAS report only 0.25% of finds came from archaeological digs and over 90% of finds were of isolated items in what most people would not consider an archaeological dig site. Preventing the import of coins does little on the looting front. The CPIA, the legal authority that lets the goverment import restrictions, also calls on the source country to implement measures to prevent looting. What has China done internally? Have they promoted a licit antiquities trade? Have they crated a way to log finds and reward finders? Or are they simply using import restrictions to further a Nationalistic agenda? It is sad to see that coins are for the second time the subject of import restrictions. While looting of archaeological sites may be a problem coins are usually found in isolation from other archaeological objects. In the 2006 PAS report only 0.25% of finds came from archaeological digs and over 90% of finds were of isolated items in what most people would not consider an archaeological dig site. Preventing the import of coins does little on the looting front.

The CPIA, the legal authority that lets the goverment import restrictions, also calls on the source country to implement measures to prevent looting. What has China done internally? Have they promoted a licit antiquities trade? Have they crated a way to log finds and reward finders? Or are they simply using import restrictions to further a Nationalistic agenda?

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