VERY IMPORTANT: FOR ALL COLLECTORS OF ANTIQUITIES, ANCIENT COINS, AND OTHER ART

The US State Department's Cultural Property Advisory Committee is in the process of renewing the import restrictions on cultural property with Italy from several years ago.  While it aims to stop illicit objects from Italy, there reality is these restrictions are excessively broad and make it very difficult for legitimately owned classical antiquities of any type to be be imported into the USA.   

Further, while coins are currently excluded, it appears that there is an effort underway to have them slipped in as part of the renewal.

We have less than two weeks to make our voices heard since CPAC will only hear comments through August 24th. If you live in the US, you can help. Simply go to www.vcoins.com/fax and use the ACCG-sponsored fax wizard to let CPAC hear from you. It's fast, easy, and most of all, it's critically important. We need 100% participation from you, so please take 5 minutes from your schedule to help protect our hobby. 

While the focus is the addition of coins to the MOU, I encourage you to urge the DEFEAT of the entire MOU on grounds that is anti-American as it shifts excessive burdens of proof on legitimate American collectors and dealers, rather that pushing back on Italy to improve enforcement against archaeological looting within its borders which would surely end the problem.

If you want to see the effort progress, you can visit this link to get up-to-the minute stats: www.vcoins.com/fax/stats.asp

We would like to personally thank Bill Peutz of vcoins and the ACCG for their efforts.